OffBalance
by RollingOffHeads
Summary: When I saw his eyes with out a shield I found myself falling for the person I never thought I would, I ended up falling for the person I never really saw.' KyoXYuki yaoi/shonen-ai !ON HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

**AN**- HO me gads- this has gotten so long.  
I don't own any part of Fruits Basket  
The only part of this i own is the story line-, which i hope you enjoy!  
WARNING- This story contains Yaoi/Shonen-Ai/Minor Incest (cousinxcousin)

**Edit: **... this is so old... i need to touch all these beginning chpts up (they're so SHORT!)

**Intro:**

(Yuki's POV)

I groaned… the morning light was seeping through my window and mercilessly blinding me, even through my closed eyes.

I was so tired… I have never been able to sleep well, and only seemed to be when I had to wake up. I grumbled in distaste at the sunlight and shoved my face in my pillow… but surrendered by the lack of oxygen and with a sigh, I heaved myself off the bed, but in a swift motion I was brought down to the floor by the coiled sheets around my legs.

Tah… it's too early for this…

Finding myself now fully awake from my bed's considerate ensnare, I lifted myself from the floor, untangling my legs from the twisting sheets, and made my way to the closet.

I readjusted my pyjamas absent-mindedly while I searched for my school uniform.

I slipped off my night clothing, letting it drape off my body and to the floor, and slid my legs into the fabric of my slacks, pulling them up to my small waist. I grasped the tiny zipper between my white fingers and with a swift motion, pulled the ends together, and buttoned them up.

Next was the shirt. I slid my thin arms through the sleeves, my fingers limp as they came out the other end, and I adjusted it to fit on my slight shoulders. I buttoned the shirt, watching as each one done up would conceal more of my white skin, until there it was hidden under the dark fabric.

I turned to the mirror, my tie in my hands, and slipped it under the collar before routinely and almost mechanically manoeuvring my fingers until I had the tie on acceptably. I tugged at it one last time, and pressed my collar neatly down.

Then I looked at myself. I started at my socks… then slowly worked my eyes up the mirror, taking in where the clothing would wrinkle, and where it would fit perfectly on my body. My eyes made their way up my tie, examined the pale skin of my neck and how it contrasted immensely with the darkness of my uniform, and then I let my eyes drift along my chin, the sharp angle of my jaw, the thin paleness of my lips, and along my small straight nose. Finally, I reluctantly reached the violet depths of my eyes. I felt my heart pound once in my head… but only once. I calmed as I watched my eyes slowly dull, like a glass wall glazed over my cornea, concealing the emotion I sometimes let slip through them.

I looked at myself, and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

I lifted my pale hand to my smokey-grey hair, and combed my fingers through it, smoothing it to a presentable state.

Shaking my hair away from my face, I tugged once again at the hem of my shirt, nodded to my reflection with my eyes, and turned with easy willingness away from myself.

I walked soundlessly to my door, placed a hand on the doorknob, and finally let myself out from that choking atmosphere in my room.

-**End of Intro-**

**Chapter One**

(Kyo's POV)

This was _Stupid._

I didn't get why I put up with this crap every damn day of my life just cuz Akito had a twisted sense of humour.

"- And when he's asleep he's snuggles with his pillow!" Shigure enthusiastically declared, beaming as he tapped Tohru's nose with his finger from across the table. I felt my eyes begin to twitch and gnashed my teeth together, my nails digging into the palm of my hand…. _Caaaaallllmmmm dooowwwwnnnnnn… just ignore the moron…._

"-And I found his secret diary full of poetry-"

"GODDAMMIT!! STOP MAKING UP STUPID GODDAMN STORIES ABOUT ME YOU DAMN DOG!!" I roared, smashing my fist into my food and breaking the plate- some shards sliding across the table as others embedded themselves in my fist.

"Oooh Kyo-Kun, don't break my plates!" Shigure squealed and Tohru yelped at my sudden violence- I felt warm liquid seeping from where the shards broke through my skin, but I ignored it.

"Kyo-Kun! Are you hurt?" She piped in immediately, her voice distraught with worry and her eyes wide as saucers. Great. This was exactly what I had been trying to avoid-

"I'm fine, dammit! Just _stop listening to what he says!!"_ I shoved a pointed finger in Shigure's direction, who immediately sniffed the air and crossed his arms over his chest.

"There is no reason to be so uptight, Kyo; we all know you're a huggable little kitte-"

"GO TO HELL, YOU DAMN DOG!" I leapt over the table, wretched the sliding door open, and was about to make my grand escape of fury when-

_-Bam-!_

I collided into something solid, feeling whatever I hit go off balance and tumbled down backwards, dragging me… I expected to crash onto the cold hard floor, but instead I found my body weight land on top of something soft and warm, knocking the wind out of it- feeling the warm breath hit my face and flood into my open mouth-

The sudden commotion was followed swiftly by absolute silence, where I opened my eyes all the way and found my shocked stare connect with large violet eyes, just as wide as mine felt, starring up at me with surprise as I felt warm breath once again ghost over my face and past my partly opened lips… I felt his heart hammering beneath my chest, his warm skin radiating through our clothes to mine, his suddenly naked eyes drawing me in deeper…

I've never seen those eyes so uncovered, so close…

They suddenly narrowed at recognition of my red ones, and with a violent but somehow smooth motion, he pushed me off of his body and I landed with a sound of shock escaping my lips on the small of my back on the contrastingly uncomfortable floor.

Yuki stood up in one graceful movement, and calmly dusted off his shirt, tugging at the hem to re-adjust it, "watch where you're going, stupid cat, you'll be the next natural disaster if you keep this up." His eyes glared at me, suddenly resembling the cold hard floor that I was still sitting on.

My brain finally kicked back in business, and I felt offence rage through me as the shock flew off my face to be replaced by anger, "Wha- you- DAMMIT, YOU STUPID DAMN RAT, THAT WAS _YOUR_ FAULT!!" but Yuki just rolled his eyes and made his way into the dining room, leaving me, hair on end, fuming on the kitchen floor.

(Yuki's POV)

The day was dragging…I placed my hand on my warm forehead and closed my eyes, taking a moment to breathe. _I'm suffocating in here…_ the atmosphere was tight, and I could feel my heart pounding. This didn't happen often, when I would get overwhelmed like this from being surrounded by so many people… but it happened often enough.

They were all smiling, and laughing… each time I looked around, they were in groups, everyone. Friends. Their smiles were undisguised, and their laughs rang like bells through the hallway- no heavy feeling linked in with that sound. It was so pure, so honest. And then I'd see their eyes, not one of them were coated and detached… They had no reason to be. Not like mine.

_I'm suffocating…_

I dropped my hand thoughtfully from my face and glanced up at the clock perched on the hallway wall. I had one more class left. One more long dragging class….

"Yuki-San!"

I turned around at the pleasantly familiar voice and smiled the best I could as I watched Tohru approach me, beaming.

"Good after-noon Honda-San, how are you?" I inquired gently.

"Perfect! I just wanted to tell you that I will be going out with my friends after school, so you don't have to wait up for me!"

I put on another smile "Thank you for telling me, Honda-San, I hope you have a good time."

"Yes, it's no problem! Please tell Shigure and Kyo for me, I should be back in time to make dinner," Tohru explained.

I nodded, "Then have a good time, and I shall see you later." Tohru smiled, thanked me again, and left after her routinely bow. I watched her leave, and once she was out of sight, I let the grin slide off my face.

Without wasting time, I entered my final class and placed myself in my seat. Soon the room was reasonably full and the teacher had already begun the lecture. I tried to concentrate, but the tightness in my chest seized even more. I had to think about something other then this atmosphere- I had to distract myself...

And for the first time since it happened, I allowed myself to think about that little incident…

It had been a few days from when Kyo had conveniently tackled me onto the floor, but for some reason it was still crystal clear in my head. I mean, of course I had heard him yelling from the other side of the door, but that wasn't unusual, plus it was the morning, and I am not known for being especially attentive to the little things… but apparently that would have made my life easier when the door had suddenly flown open and the impact of his body had knocked me off-balance and taken him down with me… it was totally unexpected.

Not the fact that he accomplished yet again to do something so idiotically clumsy, but having his body fall on top of mine. I hadn't remembered the last time I had been so obscenely close to the cat--or to anyone, for that matter. What shocked me wasn't how firm he was, but how soft and… warm he was, how heavy he felt on top of me that surprised me. I haven't made any physical contact with him other then the whole fist-to-face scenario that we were both quite used to by now, so I hadn't thought about how he felt physically… I had just grown accustomed to the thought of him being hard as rock, heat-less… I guess I never saw him as a human. More of an enemy created to ruthlessly detest my existence.

I was really taken a-back. Maybe it was because the contact we shared that time hadn't been out of fury or rage, but accidental… I had expected him to do something Kyo-like: jump up in a fit and yell something at me around the lines of "_Damn Rat"_, but it had taken me completely off-guard when he had done the complete opposite.

He just… stayed there. His chest hard against mine… I was sure he could hear my heart beat race out of shock… and then he lifted his face and looked at me.

But it wasn't the way he was supposed to look at me, the way Kyo the Cat looks at Yuki the Rat. There was no anger, no fury, no irrational rage or disgust. He didn't cringe… but I could feel his body tense- just a little.

The way he looked at me- I was startled. I've never seen his eyes without that hate veiling them… The red of his irises I was so used to seemed to turn a warmer more… soft, vulnerable shade of orange. But what caught me off-guard even more was the look in them… It was the intensity of his eyes, the curiosity… like I had intrigued him.

I've never felt so vulnerable- like I was something extraordinary- his eyes were so powerful, I felt like he could see straight through my guard…

And that's when I realised that I had it down- and as quick as we had fallen, I put my shield back up, narrowed my eyes at him, and shoved him off away, composing myself once more.

Hopefully he'll learn to become aware of his surroundings, that unpredictable inept feline.

"Stupid Cat." I muttered out loud- attaining questioning glances from a number of students sitting closest to me, pulling me out of my reminiscing. I smiled an apology and turned my attention seemingly to the teacher.

Only a few minutes later, the bell rang loud throughout the school, and the students suddenly vanished before I could look around. Heaving a sigh, I packed my bag, and began my trip back home.

Those vibrant red eyes embedded in my mind the whole way…

**-End-**

**Author's Note-**

there we go.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN-** Alright, I've edited this... just a few grammer errors, run-on sentences, stuff here and there. If any of you find a mistake, it wouldn't bother me if you pointed it out.

I don't own Kyo, Yuki, or any part of Fruits Baskets...

**Chapter Two**

Earlier on

(Kyo's POV)

"Kyo-kun, are you skipping class again?"

I didn't bother looking around; I didn't even bother to reply- other then "what the hell's it look like?"- I kept making my way down the hallway and shoved the door open; ignoring the noise I made that echoed through the hallways. I casually made my way off the school grounds, tugging the top buttons of my uniform lose.

I tilted my head back, basking in the feeling of warm sun beating down on my face, the slight breeze ruffling through my unkempt orange hair. I shoved my hands deep inside my pockets, and looked ahead once more.

I walked through the forest that led home without a thought in my head; it was easy to lose myself in the warmth and breeze that surrounded me with such reassuring confidence.

Sooner then I thought I would, I stepped out of the shade from the trees and was approaching the house. When I reached it I opened the door, made my way through the kitchen and ascended the stairs two at a time. I reached my room and dropped my bag inside before making my way to the roof.

I climbed up on the top of the house and reached to the sky, twisting my spin in a stretch, letting out a sigh of appreciation to the lovely day. I made my way to the middle of the roof to lie back, resting peacefully against the warm sun.

After a while, my ears perked up as I heard a ruffling sound. I crawled to the edge of the roof and watched as Yuki made his way out of the trees and into the clearing, looking completely in a daze.

Hmph. Just like him to ruin a perfectly nice day.

I crossed my arms over my chest and sneered at the unsuspecting Rat- and then I noticed something… apart from the usual grace in his walk, his shoulders had a slight gloomy slump to them.

Damn Rat, what's he sulking about??

And just with that, I felt the anger boil- Yuki was close to the house now, and I decided to take my advance. I lifted myself up and jumped off the edge, landing with impressive ease a few meters in front of him. Yuki stopped in his tracks, jerked back a bit at my sudden appearance, but as soon as he registered the orange flame of my hair, his face was composed and expressionless.

I slunk into a threatening pose, throwing an accusing look at the rat.

Yuki let out a sigh, put a delicate hand on his hip and shifted his weight to one leg, "Do you want an applause?"

I felt my hair stand on end out of offence and bared my teeth at him "Shut up, you damn rat! I don't want anything from you!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It looked like you were expecting something. Now, if you'll excuse me-" Yuki shoved his hand in my face (_"gah!"_)- "I have more important things to do with my time then be bothered by some futile cat."- And with that, he shoved my face away from him with such force that I stumbled back a few steps.

"YOU WANNA FIGHT, YOU DAMN RAT?!" I roared, gaining my balance once, but Yuki was already making his way up the steps behind me "DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME, PRETTY BOY!"

I lunged at him, grabbing a fistful of his shirt, and threw him back a few paces away from the steps, a huge gap between us.

Yuki looked annoyed at me from my sudden violent gesture. "I _said_ I don't have time to satisfy your constant need to lose. Why don't you go live up in the mountains for another few years and build up _some_ skills, because I'm bored enough as it is just being near you."

"WHY YOU_-"_ I charged at that damn rat at full speed, bringing my fist back, ready to knock in his pretty little face when suddenly he wasn't there anymore, and I felt a hand collide sharply against the back of my neck and I plummeted to the ground, feeling my face graze the rough dirt- just as soon as I fell, I was hurtling at him again before I even got up, swinging my fists at his face, each one he seemed to dodge effortlessly. Fury began to overflow through me and I didn't even begin to let down the speed of my fists as Yuki refused to be taken off guard by any of my throws.

After a seemingly stretched-out time of unproductive fist hurtling, Yuki finally decided to make a move and grabbed at my wrist as I threw him another hasty punch, using the stamina I put into it to throw me forward, behind him.

Refusing to let go, Yuki came with me smoothly as I hit the hard, scratching ground face-first again, shoving his knee into the spine of my back. He pinned the hand he had seized against my back and curled his free hand around my other wrist, restraining it to the ground- I felt sharp pebbles dig into my skin as he mercilessly shoved me closer to the earth, putting all his body weight on my back.

I grunted at the impact, struggling ruthlessly at his grip, but I probably knew better then anyone how his fragile, delicate hands had the firmest, tightest grip. He had me pinned, that DAMN RAT!

"GET THE HELL OFFA ME!" I roared into the dirt, my body shaking with rage. The only response I got was feeling his nails dig into the flesh of my wrist- and they must have broke through my skin because I felt a sting and something warm slither down my wrist. "DAMMIT GET OFFA ME, YOU _GOD DAMN RAT!!"_ I felt my throat scratch from the volume of my voice.

"You asked for it, you _stupid Cat_." Yuki's voice was the usually calm with the venomous hint of detest.

GODDAMMIT, I HATE HIM I HATE HIM I HATE HIM!!

Then suddenly, he slide his knee across my back, and I felt him straddle the small of my back, his legs pressed tightly against my sides- and my mouth started going dry…

--

(Yuki's POV)

I had him pinned underneath me, struggling mercilessly, refusing to give up. I would have admired his persistence- if it didn't annoy the hell out of me. With all the constant thrashing he was doing underneath me, I was beginning to lose strength in my one knee that had him pinned, so I moved my legs to straddle the small of his back- and when I did so, I had expected him to up his thrashing at this opportunity, but instead his body tensed as I repositioned myself on top of him- but just as soon as it tensed, he went back to struggling like a mad-man. I felt, more then saw, him attempt to get on his fours, so I pressed my legs firmer into the ground, crushing my groin further into his back to keep him down. Kyo seemed to be breathing more heavily then before- letting out constant aggravated noises at my own persistence.

I wanted him to see what it was like to have someone relentlessly pushing himself on him.

I guess I was doing it to a literal extent, though.

It seemed to be working; Kyo wasn't even hiding his infuriation.

"YOU _GODDAMN RAT_ GET THE HELL OFF ME, I SWEAR I'M GONNA KILL YOU! _I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!"_

"I'm sure you will." I muttered on top of him, mainly talking to myself as I sighed.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?"

Rolling my eyes, and getting a bit exasperated at his over-reaction of the whole situation (**AN**: cuz getting pinned down by the person you absolutely loath is a sensible situation.), I bent over him, putting my mouth to his ear hidden by his radiant orange hair speckled in dirt- the body beneath me immediately tensing,

"I said, _I'm sure you will_." I whispered silkily against his ear, his hair sweeping slightly at my breath.

I felt Kyo take in a sharp breath, as I felt myself lose mine at his reaction, my pulse rising…

(Kyo's POV)

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?" I roared at his muttering, Dammit, I HATE it when he mutters-

The next thing came unexpectedly; I felt his body shift as if he was leaning forward and then…

I felt warm breath ghost against my ear, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end- not out of disgust, but out of anticipation… every muscle in my body flexed as I felt my heart beat race like a hummingbird…

"I said, _I'm sure you will."_ His voice was glossy, just a whisper, and so smooth- I felt his breath as it fluttered the strands of my hair, as it phantomed into my ear- my mouth watered, my eyes were wide, staring at the dirt so close to my face… I took in a sharp breath that hurt inside my clenching chest… I became hyper-aware of his thighs, tight against the side of my body…

His hair tickled at my neck- my stomach churned…

Causing pain to seer through the arm he had bent behind me, I twisted my neck enough to look at him; his mouth was mere inches from mine, and the familiar sensation of his warm breath floating into my mouth came back to me as I starred into those violet pools and I was pleased to no end to see them just as naked as they had been the last time we were this close… I was so wrapped up in everything that I didn't even notice his fingers soften their grip on my wrists- until he suddenly pulled away and made to get off me.

But at the last second, more of a reflex then anything, the moment his body lifted off my back, I flipped over, grabbed his wrists and pushed him to the side. Yuki rolled with the movement gracefully somehow, (Damn it_… _is he just naturally like that?) and I moved in sync with him, but with a rougher style, and we finally came to a stop with him stuck underneath me, both of us breathing heavily out of adrenaline.

I didn't bother lifting my weight off of him; it felt too abnormal- feeling his heart race underneath me, his pulse vibrating through my skin- it was just so out of the ordinary, the feeling was just so… alarming.

It sent my heart beat racing and I didn't want it to slow down.

My hands hadn't loosened their grip on his wrists…. They were surprisingly small, I felt like I would break them if I held them any firmer- but I still kept them pinned to either side of his head on the ground.

My face was again merely centimetres away from his, our breath colliding and mixing in the small space separating our mouths, ghosting over both of our faces. His eyes were wide with shock- almost fearful… he looked so vulnerable… I've never noticed how fragile he was until now. His body was thin underneath me, his delicate wrists captured in mine, his fluttering heart quivering against my chest, his soft breath tingling my skin…

I've never felt so powerful over him then I do now… I wasn't used to seeing him so defenceless… it sent my blood on fire, my breathing got heavy, and I was exhilarated….

Right now, he's at my mercy, I could do anything… _I_ am in control…

**-End**

**AN:** k, who's hanging off the end of their chairs? … Okay, yes, I am, - the next chpt. is up so _read on!!_

oh but first **REVIEW!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN**- I don't own Fruits Baskets -dammit-  
k- I edited this chapter -alot-. and nnn i really needed too, this one was _really bad_. But I edited it as much as I could for now, and am much more pleased with it then before.

_**Chapter Three**_

(Kyo's POV)

Before I realized it, I was slowly moving my face closer to his… agonizingly slow-

My warm nose brushed against his cooler one, the temperature difference very slight, and yet severely significant- it sent sparks through my body, the pounding of my pulse would have completely filled my head if Yuki's breathing hadn't already taken care of that.

I tilted my face slightly to the left and moved in a fraction of a centimetre closer- my hands were shaking, trembling out of anticipation, and Yuki was quivering underneath me.

But my lips didn't tremble, and my neck stayed sturdy for me as I came dangerously close…

I could feel the shiver in Yuki's breath- it tasted warm, soft even, not sweet, but _delicious_. I would've licked my lips it were possible to do without licking his at the same time…

_I want to lick his lips…_

I wasn't going to kiss him, I swear- I just wanted to taste him… it's not a kiss, it's just a taste…

_I want to taste him…_

I moved a breath closer…

_It's just a taste… just one taste wont hurt…_

One more closer…

_It's not a kiss…_

I was so close that if I twitched just a little, I would be brushing my lips against his.

_Just one taste…_

_That's all I want,_

_One taste…_

I had him pinned, trapped, he was defenceless and vulnerable…

Wait- what? Defenceless and Vulnerable?

I pulled my face back enough to look at the boy's expression underneath me.

His gorgeous violet eyes were half-lidded if even, his cheeks flushed, and his lips parted-

_HOLY FUCK, WHAT AM I DOING?!_

His eyelids slowly dragged more open- his eyes starting to gaze into mine…

_GET THE FUCK OUTA HERE!!_

I pushed myself off of him with rapid speed and hurtled myself in the opposite direction, quickly diving into the protection of the forest trees.

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, the need to get away being the source of my newfound strength as I pushed myself as far as I could.

I didn't stop, I didn't even slow down until my inability to breath properly finally overcame me and I collapsed to the ground, shaking and heaving for breath.

"What… what the… hell…" I managed through gasps of breath, my eyes wide with shock.

_What the __HELL__??_

_WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT??_

I licked my lips…

_Dammit, what did I almost do?_

_He was right there- RIGHT THERE!_

_I COULD'VE __PULVERISHED_ _HIM!_

_And instead i…_

_I…_

I didn't realise I had my hand against my mouth, the fingertips touching my lips- I clenched my hand into a fist and hit a nearby tree with all the anger I felt inside of me-

"_GOD DAMMIT!!"_

I heard the tree make a creaking noise against the impact. I bit my lower lip, I gnashed my teeth into it until the salty copper taste of my blood seeped into my mouth, consuming the fading taste of Yuki's breath with the intense and fresh flavour. It was completely opposite of his taste- it was harsh and bitter, but same in the sense that it was over-powering…

…What the hell did I almost do?

I searched for a reason, but all I could come up with was that feeling, that need…

Okay, okay, don't get carried away…

I had to forget that feeling, it's the least of my worries, and definitely not a good reason—

I forced myself on him…

What the hell is _wrong_ with me??

I would normally have no problem at all with having my way with him, but it was never in… that kind of way…

_Oh yeah? And what kind of way IS that?_

… Oh my god…

(Yuki's POV)

Kyo pulled away from me abruptly- the warmth of his breath on my face with him.

I was about to catch his gaze, to see what was wrong, when he was out of my sight before I even registered that he wasn't on top of me anymore.

And just as suddenly as he disappeared, I was cold in contrast to the heat of his body. Still in shock, I laid there on the rough ground trying to register what the hell just happened…

And when it did, I gasped and sat up sharply- my body went into shock, but the complete opposite kind of shock that Kyo had ignited inside me: my heart beat abruptly stopped, my blood ran cold, and I tensed- I went completely rigid.

_Wait… wait, no, that didn't happened…_

I tried to convince myself that I had knocked my head on something at some point of my encounter with Kyo, and it all was just a stupid ridiculous delusion…

But it all felt so real… there was no way anyone could convince me that it wasn't real… I have never felt anything so authentic in my life…

I stared at my hands, then at my fingers. There was the proof. Underneath a few of my nails was fresh blood from where I had dug them into the flesh on Kyo's wrist…

But… why would he do that?

I lifted my fingers closer to my face to inspect his blood

_Whoa, Whoa, first off, how did he get ME on my back?_

I brought my nails to my lips

_We were fighting… I got him on his stomach… I whispered in his ear…_

I snuck my tongue out of my mouth

_He twisted around to look at me…_

I ran my tongue against the blood on my nails

_He did it again… that __thing__ he did with his eyes last time…_

I tasted his salty blood inside my mouth

_I tried to leave- I had to, he was too close…his eyes were too intense…_

I rolled the taste over my tongue

_I was naked…_

I swallowed, his blood slid down my throat

_He pinned me down… I didn't expect him too…_

_He was so close… I could taste him… I __wanted__ to taste him…_

_I wanted to run, but I couldn't move… his eyes paralysed me…_

I looked down at my wrists… there weren't any bruises, any marks of any kind of force… not like what his wrists must look like.

_His warmth…_

My hands began to shake- my heartbeat quickened.

His eyes…

_I was naked…_

**-End-**

**Authors Note**- k, I didn't mean literally 'naked' Yuki is fully clothed. Please **REVIEW!!** I -love- reviews!! And read on, i would love that to!


	4. Chapter 4

**AN-** everyone everyone hello welcome to chapter four. I hope you all read, enjoy, and review-  
I do not own Fruits Baskets- it belongs to that magnificent writer who I am astounded by.

_**Chapter Four**_

(Yuki's POV)

"Hey, Yuki-" my bedroom door slid open and Shigure stuck his head in, pulling me out of my deep thinking.

"Hmm?"

"Have you seen Kyo? Do you know if he's come home from school?"

I felt my throat go numb.

"Yes, he did come home. He ran off a while ago… I suppose he hasn't come back." I tried to make my voice sound indifferent, like I didn't care much, but Shigure wasn't a man to be easily tricked…

Shigure slunk into the room and tiptoed over to my desk where I sat. I eyed him in annoyance for a moment, and then went back to putting on the studying charade.

Shigure just stood there, leaning against my desk, observing my every move.

I put up with it for five minutes, and then I closed my book and looked up into Shigure's waiting eyes.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked. Shigure cradled his chin In-between his index finger and thumb, looking quite inspective.

"What do you think would have made Kyo evaporate the premises for such an extended time?" He looked off in the distance with an inquisitive look. I rolled my eyes.

"We got in a fight- if you have to have it spelled out." I answered calmly, re-opening my book.

"About what?"

Aggravated, I looked back up at him and his serious expression. "The usual irrational things that Kyo gets infuriated about, perhaps? Why are you so elated to think that there was a certain special significance about this particular fight?" I was starting to get irritated by his presence. There was a reason I was in my room.

"Oh, well… when was this quarrel between you two gentlemen?" Shigure looked completely enthralled into figuring this out… whatever 'this' is.

"I don't know… around the time when school had ended, maybe?" I didn't see how this had anything to do with it.

"Hmm, if that's true… he's been out for a while, then hasn't he?" Shigure said, tapping the bedside clock I had accessorized on my desk.

I stared at it… and the position of their hands… it was nearly seven pm.

Had he seriously been gone that long? I must've been so wrapped up in my thoughts that the time just flew me by…

"Ah."

I was so shocked about my discovery that I had forgotten that Shigure was there, scrutinizing my every reaction, and now I saw him peering down at me with accusing eyes. "So, there _was_ some certain special significance about that particular fight, perhaps."

I shoved my chair back and stood up, shutting my book and laying in down of my desk. I walked past my bedroom door, made my way down the hallway and silently down the staircase, listening to Shigure's noisy footsteps follow me.

"Hey-hey Yuki, where are you going?" Shigure called after me.

"Do I really have to explain?" I asked, exasperated by this whole scenario. I tugged at the entrance door and stepped outside without looking back, closing it behind me on Shigure's probably shocked face. Without pausing, I made my way to the forest in search for Kyo.

--

(Kyo's POV)

I felt sore… I've been sitting under this damn tree too damn long. I leaned my head back to rest against it, and heaved a sigh.

_I can't go back without sorting out all this shit inside me._

But I was getting more and more exhausted by the minute. I stretched like the cat I was, arching my back and curving my spine, and let out an appreciative sigh.

_I can't think anymore- I'll get brain damage._

I stood up and walked further away from the house- I still had no intentions of going back. It's not that I was scared of that damn rat; I just wanted to figure this whole damn situation out… I _hate_ getting confused like this.

I finally got into an open space- and then I noticed that it wasn't day anymore from the sun-less sky.

_Aw, DAMMIT._

I must've been so caught up with my thoughts that it all just passed me by… the sun wasn't shinning through the trees where I had decided to rest, so it was no wonder I hadn't noticed.

I thought the drop in temperature would've at least made me wonder… it was definitely colder then it was when I walked home from school, from when I was on the roof… from when I had Yuki breathing hard underneath me…

"GAH!" I slapped myself on the head and shook myself vigorously.

I did _not_ want to think about that. I've been thinking about it for the past who-the-hell-knows-how-many hours. I am _exhausted._

I made my way into the small clearing and spread my body across the cool, fresh, green grass, looking up at the sky. The sun was nearly past setting; the stars were starting to show.

"Damn, I'm so tired…" I murmured to myself, feeling my eyelids begin to grow heavy.

_If I can't figure it out, then I cant figure it out. No use wasting brain cells on something pointless like that damn rat…_

And with that last thought, I pushed Yuki out of my head for the first time in the past few hours, and drifted off to sleep under the star-filled sun set sky.

--

(Yuki's POV)

The further into the forest I got, the colder it seemed to get as well, and the sun was starting to disappear which definitely would put a damper on my rescue mission… I was already beginning to shiver. _I wish I brought my jacket… what was I thinking…_

I trudged through the ferns and over tree roots- at random times, completely loosing concentrating and tripping over the occasional rocks and roots now and then- curses slipping out of my mouth the more it happened. I don't know how long I had been walking, but the sun had nearly faded completely from the sky… I didn't want to be out here all night… I gave up on the silent rescue, and inhaled deeply, wanting to get this over with.

"KYO!" I called, my voice ringing through the trees. I paused for a moment, trying to catch my breath. The sun was gone now, and only the golden clouds were left in its absence. "Kyo, where are you?" I called again, feeling more and more regretful for my act of boldness… what if he's already gone back home and I'm stuck wondering around these looming trees all night looking for him?

I heaved a sigh. Why did he have to be so immature? Honestly, these things happen, he shouldn't go pouting around the damn forest, making people like me who actually _have_ things to do wonder around aimlessly trying to find his sorry ass.

I called his name again, and the usual absence of a reply hung heavy in the air.

I had been walking for ages, how far did he have to go?

_And what's with the sudden drastic temperature drop?_

The chilly air seeped into my fragile lungs, and I choked out a cough.

"Oh… not good… KYO, WHERE ARE YOU, YOU STUPID CAT?" I called, more desperate this time in the growing chill of the air. I walked for a couple more minutes before crying out his name, not bothering to hide the desperation in my face "KYO, COME OUT ALREADY!"

I stumbled forward for another few minutes, the darkness growing around me… why hadn't I headed home yet? He's not out here; I'm all by myself…

I'm all by myself…

_I'm all alone…_

Suddenly a rock caught my foot and I stumbled into a small clearing, my breathing strangled, and then…

In the clearing, bathed in moonlight, was the very subject of my desperation.

Kyo was lying peacefully on the ground, his orange hair a vibrant contrast to the lush green that surrounded him. I tried to heave a relieved sigh- but that only hurt my lungs even more, and I ended up coughing like a maniac, falling to my knees, clutching at my tightening chest.

It took me a moment to gather myself up again, but when I did I made my way over to the sleeping cat.

I looked at him with exhaustion. _Was he seriously going to stay here all night rather then confront me?_

His stubborn immaturity had me exasperated, but I smirked at it at the same time.

"Stupid cat." I sighed, lowering myself down next to him. I'll wake him up… I just need to rest…

I brought my knees to my chest and rested my forehead on top of them, concentrating on steadying my breathing now that I had nothing to get stressed about.

When I had my breathing somewhat under control, I peeked over at Kyo.

I was startled- seeing him sleeping like that. I'm so used to seeing his face scrunched up in rage, it was strange for me to see him look so… peaceful. In the last few incidents we shared together I had been exposed to the look of his face without his rage twisting it up- but those incidents went by quickly, and I never felt alright with taking it all in… with him looking at me and taking in my expression, I didn't want to expose anything else around his powerful stare.

But now… now I was free to look however long I wanted to.

I had never noticed- he was truly… handsome. Beautiful, even. His features were rough; you could tell right away that he was not fragile. But that didn't stop him from looking angelic. I don't know what it is exactly... Maybe the sharp line of his nose, the quick angle of his jaw, the attractive slight curve of his lips, or maybe it was just how he looked so boy-ish…

And that's when it first implanted itself in me- the deep desire to see him smile.

I've just realised that I've never seen him smile… a true smile, not that devilish smirk that would charm his face whenever he got excited and over-confident about defeating me.

But I do have to admit- I adore that smile. Now that I think about it, even though it's always been a deep annoyance of mine, that smile was for _me_. He donned it whenever he thought about beating _me_. Of course, he'd had a duplicate of it whenever Haru challenged him, but it wasn't the same.

The one he had for me _came from deep inside of him_. Deep loathing that he had only for me fuelled it. I probably should be disheartened by that fact… but I liked it… I liked it a lot that he didn't suck up to me, that he wasn't polite to me… no one else gave me that. With him, I didn't feel like I could pretend… because to him, I was already the core of his hate, the heart of his rage. There were some things I still kept masked from him, but not nearly as much as I had to mask for the others. It's always scared me- how much I fear he knows.

The part of myself that I did keep hidden from him was my vulnerability… how… damaged I was. If I ever showed him insecurity, vulnerability, he would latch onto it with his feline claws and dig them in deep.

At least… that's what I thought…

The last few times, when he had seen past shield I had over my eyes, all the rage, the hate, it all disappeared from him… he didn't look like he was even thinking about how pathetic I was and how he could use it to his advantage.

Why… why was he like that?

What did he have to throw me so off-balance?

He was the only one that could get me off guard like that so effortlessly… it was frustrating.

I let my eyes take in every peaceful feature in his … gentle face. I wanted to remember this. I was awestruck from his beauty. He really was truly beautiful, in an odd, roughed up way…

Hesitantly, I reached out a pale hand.

I wanted to touch him… to see if he was real…

I was too scared to touch his face, so I decided to see if I could bring myself to touch his vibrant hair…

I hate to confess it, but I've always wanted to touch it… it looked so beautiful, so free in its disarray on the top of his head. I've always wondered if it's as soft as it looks.

My long fingers began to tremble as I stretched them further away from my body, and closer to Kyo's.

The moonlight spilled over my pale fingers, and I was inches away from touching that amazing orange colour…

Then my fingers brushed a few strands. It _was_ soft; in fact, it was an amazingly comforting texture…

Feeling more confident, I combed my fingers through his hair, careful not to brush against his scalp, not wanting him to wake up. I didn't want him to- not yet.

I played with his incredibly thick hair, brushing my fingers through it effortlessly like it was smoke.

Feeling even more confident, I brushed my fingertips against the skin at his hairline above his ear. My heartbeat raced at the moment. I don't think I've ever felt his face before… it was so soft, but firm from his bone structure underneath the gentle skin.

I wasn't used to any skin-on-skin contact… at least, the kind that wasn't violent…

I grinned bitterly at that thought, and trailed my fingertips along his cheekbone.

I paused when I got to the corner of his mouth… and decided to stay clear from temptation- Instead of tracing his lips, I trailed my fingertips down to his jaw, and traced the angle of that instead… it seemed perfect… but now it was more then my fingertips that ached for contact, to touch that soft perfection. I rested my palm against his face, cupping his cheek. The heat from his skin was seeping past the coldness of my palm. Has he always been so warm…?

I hadn't realised that I had a small smile enchant my face until it disappeared suddenly when Kyo moved underneath my touch… I froze completely, but all he did was tilt his head slightly, leaning into my hand.

My cheeks flared with warmth as I felt myself blush and my pulse pick up…

My thumb started to stroke the skin of his cheek, not quite satisfied with the still contact.

I shifted my position, laying my left bent leg vertically along with Kyo's upper arm, and resting my right one over top of my left. I rested my free hand in my lap.

I trailed my palm higher up his face, then moved it back down, adoring the soft feeling of his face in my hands.

Suddenly Kyo moved again, he rolled over towards me, his face abandoning my hand as he rested it on my lap, and curled his arms up against his chest, into me.

_God… he's… he's so…_

I felt a searing pain shoot through me… I had never… I had never seen Kyo act like this… so vulnerable.

_This is wrong…I shouldn't be doing this…_

I brushed my hand through his hair one last time, and gently removed my legs from underneath him. I wasn't about to humiliate him if he were to wake up…

I stood up and walked away from Kyo, circling the boarder of the small clearing, trying to calm my heartbeat down to a reasonable speed.

But from all the walking around in the cold air and heavy breathing, my lungs began to burn and I started to cough again… it had gotten much colder now that there was no sun. I felt like icicles were being formed inside my lungs- every breath I took made pain seer through me.

_I have to get home…_

At that moment, I started to cough hard- breath avoiding me like the plague, I began to get weak all throughout my body, and I felt my knees buckle and I collapsed to the ground, coughing spastically- _I cant breathe-_

**-****End****-**

**AN:** holy shit, keep reading! Next chapter! Next chapter! oh no wait- **REVIEW!** then keep reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**AN**- Thank you for reviewing those who have, I sometimes need motivation from other's to do these things, so it means alot  
Hopefully you will like this chapter-  
I do not own any part of Fruits Baskets-  
nope... not one bit... thus my life -sucks immensly-

_**Chapter Five**_

(Kyo's POV)

I was stirred from the most peaceful and comfortable sleep I've had in days by a disconcerting sound- like someone gasping for breath… it sounded like the coughing only some old man in the hospital dying of a disease could accomplish…

I forced my heavy eyes opened, and realised that it wasn't a part of my imagination… I saw a figure not too far away in the shadows of the tree's boarding the clearing… the coughing was coming from the person… I pushed myself up in a sitting position, and opened my mouth to say something, until suddenly the figure collapsed to the ground, heaving for breath, and coughing like a sick animal… I pushed myself up and cautiously approached the figure…

_Is that who I think it is…?_

I got close enough to make out the slender form, and that was enough for my suspicions to be confirmed…

But I was still hesitant, so I carefully made my way to his side and slouched down beside him on the balls of my feet-

"Yuki?"

He suddenly jolted upright- shocked, again, by my presence- clutching at his chest, his face flushed with lack of oxygen.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE?" I roared out of disbelief- _he looks like shit! is he stupid? why the hell is he out here?!_, Yuki looked taken aback, but his expression quickly changed to annoyance-

"I was looking for _you_, you _stupid Cat!"_ He retorted sharply, his hand clutching firmer at his chest.

"WHAT? I DON'T NEED A DAMN BABYSITTER, I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!!" I threw back, outraged.

"_Quit lecturing me, you stupid cat, I came out here because of you, don't make me regret all the effort I've put into this!"_ but the threat in his voice was over-powered by the pain and weakness that laced his words.

I was taken aback at how frail he sounded, his eyes squinting at the pain.

"…" I opened my mouth, and then closed it, feeling an awkward twinge of repent as I watched his pain… _God, he doesn't look so great…_ "You could've at least taken a jacket, you stupid rat."

And with that, I grabbed him around his petit waist and hauled him up against my body in a reverse piggyback. My left arm wrapped around the back of his thighs, my right arm keeping his upper body secure against mine.

"What-" (_Cough)_ "-are you-" (_cough)_ "-doing?" Yuki managed, his hands grasping fistfuls of my school uniform, clinging onto me with shaking hands as he coughed into my shoulder. I cringed at how scratched and vicious his coughs sounded, and how course and rough his usually angelic voice sounded against my ear.

"I'm taking you home, you dumb rat." I said, my volume lowered, all traces of anger vanishing.

If I thought his body was small when I had him pinned to them ground, I wasn't pressed against him close enough, because as I held him caged in my arms, I was acutely aware of the fragility of his body- the curve of his back, his diminutive waist, the slenderness of his thighs against my body… I took in every detail I could feel…

Yuki coughed viciously half of the way, the temperature dropping significantly as we made our way back. I felt my fingers start to go numb, and was thinking about trying to book it (_AN- sorry, slang, I mean 'run hardcore')_…until I noticed that Yuki seemed to go completely limp in my arms.

"Yo-" I asked, a bit concerned… when Yuki didn't reply, I got a bit _more_ concerned… "Yo…yo, Yuki," I gave his body a shake in my arms, but he was still unresponsive. _… Oh god, oh god, no, no…_

"C'mon, Yuki… Yuki?" still nothing... "YUKI!!" I yelled in his ear, finally getting a moan to cross over his lips as he cringed away, followed by a dainty cough. "_Jesus_, Yuki, _Don't do that to me_!" I snapped, "If you _dare_ pull anything tragic on me, I'll hurt you like _hell_- you got that, you damn rat?" I got a soft whimper out of him and another cough. "Don't you _dare_ give me a guilty conscience, if you even _think_ about putting your health at risk for me again, I'll-"

"I wont"

His voice shocked me, I didn't expect him to say anything… his voice was fragile and weak, and… sincere, but it was like I could feel a small smile in there somewhere. I felt the corners of my mouth twitch in a small grin.

I walked another few paces… "You're really stupid, you know that."

I heard him cough into my shoulder and nestled his face into the crook of my neck.

I cringed away at first, out of reaction of his ice-cold skin… my body was cold, but _his_ was like _ice_… and then it registered that Yuki had just showed me affection… _damn, it must be getting to his head…_I felt awkward, with his head nuzzled in the crook of my neck… it felt so intimate to me…

Then I had just realised something… the one person I was the most intimate with was my archenemy.

I laughed to myself in my head. I was carrying the one person in the world I loathed the most in my arms back to safety.

Just because I hate the guts out of him, doesn't mean that I'd just leave him, right? It's not like I've gone mushy or anything.

And that feeling, it was just hormonal. It's not my fault if he smells so damn good…

_Don't think about that now!!_

Yuki coughed against my shoulder a few more times, it sounded like it felt absolutely painful… I needed to keep him conscious… and then I noticed the familiar curve of the path, and the placement of the trees… I felt a small spark tickle at my inside,

"Yuki, we're almost there," my voice was strained from carrying Yuki's dead weight so far for so long, his body growing heavier every step I took, and I couldn't feel my fingers anymore.

I'll admit, he's not as light as he looks...

Or maybe it was just cuz I've been carrying him for what feels like forever.

Then finally I had managed to stumble us out of the forest at last, feeling the strength in my arms being tested to their limit. _Almost there, c'mon Kyo, almost there…_

Nearly at the steps, I felt my right knee buckle from underneath me, and I was driven down to the ground at a hurtling speed, kneeling on the leg that gave way. I managed to keep Yuki gathered in my hold, unbothered by my fall… whereas, I was exhausted, my biceps twitching with effort- but I couldn't stop now, I needed to get Yuki inside.

I made to push myself up off my bent knee, but had no success.

Yuki's body had become a pile of bricks in my arms.

"Shigure!" I called from the steps, attempting to stand up again, "_Damn Dog- never around when you (nng) need him-" _I hissed to myself through clenched teeth. I wasn't going to get any help, so I gathered my strength and pushed myself forward, off my bended knee. I stumbled up the steps, my arms shaking with effort to keep Yuki in a secure hold.

When I got to the door I slammed my foot against it, breaking it off the wall. I stumbled forward into the house, and nearly tripped and fell on top Yuki, but I caught my balance.

"Shigure, goddammit, where _are_ you_?_" I snapped, not bothering to waste the effort of raising my voice. Instead, I put my energy into trying to get up the stairs without tumbling down backwards or missing a step. I succeeded, with the occasional moment where I had to slam my back against the wall to keep myself from falling backwards.

I finally got to Yuki's room, and thankfully, his door was opened, I didn't think I had enough energy to knock down another door with the dead weight of Yuki in my arms. (- Shigure didn't shut it when he left Yuki's room)

I staggered over to his bed, grunting in effort, and finally laid Yuki's abused body down on the soft sheets- and I collapsed, heaving for breath and shaking, on the floor before him. I turned so I had my back to him and leaned my head against the side of the bed. My muscles twitched and my lungs burned from my journey back home carrying Yuki's body…

It probably wouldn't have been so difficult to accomplish if it hadn't been so blasted cold outside, and if I hadn't wondered off so damn far…

I felt my chest tighten as I let out a cough of my own…

My body felt weak…. I turned around and curled my arm onto the mattress beside Yuki, and I rested my head in the crook of my elbow.

_Dammit, Dammit, dammit, I have to call Hatori…_

I groaned out a protest at myself, but knew that Yuki needed to be checked up on- his coughing was so inhumanely violent earlier on, and he just seemed to be passed out now.

With that, I heaved my body up, noticing a gleeful difference in how much less effort I had to put into it now that Yuki was not in the whole mix, and made my way to the hallway phone as quickly as I could, stumbling at my light-headedness. When I finally reached it in a rush, I picked it up and tried to dial the numbers, but my vision kept on spinning and my fingers were shaking too hard.

Growling in frustration, I stuck my face close to the number pad and intently pressed each number with individual concentration.

Finally the phone was ringing in my ear… _c'mon C'MON pick up PICK UP!_

The phone kept on ringing… "GODDAMMIT ANSWER THE GODDAMN PHO- Hatori!" I exclaimed hearing his voice as he picked up the phone halfway through my rant, but I didn't give him time to reply: "youhavetocomequick,something'swrongwithYuki,ithinkitshisbronchialtubes,buthesbeencoughingreallyhardandnowhespassedoutorsomethingyougottagetoverherequick-"

"Whoa, whoa, Kyo, slow down. What's going-"

"JUST GET OVER HERE, DAMMIT! _NOW!_" I yelled into the phone, getting horribly impatient thinking about the unconscious Yuki lying cold in his bed.

"Kyo, calm down, I'll be over."

"I AM CALM, DAMMIT!" And with that, I slammed the phone down hard on the receiver, and stormed back into Yuki's room. When I got to the door, all the rage just fell away when I saw Yuki.

I was so used to seeing his calm and composed face, revealing nothing, but now that I saw him sleeping… there was nothing veiling his features, nothing hardening his gentle face, he was beautiful… but there was something about it that was unnerving. He didn't look peaceful… and it made my stomach churn.

I willed my legs to move forward, advancing me closer to Yuki's sleeping body.

"Yuki?" I kept my voice low, not wanting to startle him, as I reached the side of his bed. I glanced over my shoulder at the open door behind me, and then turned my attention back to the resting boy.

I heaved an exhausted sigh, grabbed the hem of my cold uniform shirt that was stopping the heated air from effectively warming up my body, tugged it over my head, tossed it to the floor, and sat down at the edge of his bed in my black wife-beater. I put my elbows on my knees and combed my fingers through my hair and I leaned forward, closing my eyes.

I ruffled my hair, and turned my head to look over at Yuki- he looked so tired and worn, his eyes looked sore and his skin was paler then usual.

Before I could stop myself, my hand had reached out and was running itself through his silver hair…

_It's like silk…_

I frowned. _How the hell can someone's hair be that silky?_

I let my hand drag down along his cheek, and jerked my hand back a bit at first contact: His skin was so painfully cold, but I kept my warm hand against his skin anyway… his cheekbone was faintly defined under his pale porcelain skin, and his jaw line was a sharp angle- I dragged my fingers alone the underside of it, reaching his chin. I ran my thumb along the skin just bellow his bottom lip…

I quickly tore my hand away, pushed myself off his bed, and left his room, my heart racing.

I closed his door behind my back and sank to the floor, resting my head against it.

_Stupid Rat's not good for my oxygen intake…_

It wasn't long until Hatori was standing in front of me.

**-****End-**

**AN-** Nnnnn… Hatori just invited himself in cuz the front door was on the floor. Stick with me, there's alot more to the story.  
There is much more, so **review** and tell me how this is so far. I will be updating constantly, but i need to know if this story is any good... thank you for reading!

oh and if anyone thinks of a good summary for this, you can just put it out there for me, cuz mine right now isnt really... attention grabbing, i've realised -blush-


	6. Chapter 6

**AN-** Thank you Kyki- The Late Night Writer for the summary! I really appreciate it, i feel like such a dork- can't think up my own...  
I have edited this chapter as well-- I'm glad I did, I re-read these and almost died, but I fixed it up.  
I don't own Fruits Baskets...

_**Chapter Six**_

(Kyo's POV)

"Hello Kyo,"

Knocking me out of my delusional state, I was back in reality with a pop, registering Hatori with a start.

"Is he in there?" Hatori nodded at the door behind my back… I had forgotten I was still leaning in front of it.

"Oh-oh yeah," I stood up and slid the door open for Hatori and his handy doctor bag.

He went into the room without further invitation and I stood in the doorway, unsure whether I should go into Yuki's room again or not… but when Hatori engaged me in questioning, I took a few steps forward.

"So- what happened, did you say?" Hatori never took his eyes away from Yuki as he examined him.

I kept myself well behind him so he wouldn't be able to read any escaping expressing that might have flitted across my face. I tried to gather my thoughts,

"Kyo?" Hatori snuck a glance at me over his shoulder before promptly going back to examining Yuki.

"Um… I lost track of time, and I guess Tohru sent Yuki to find me… it got cold pretty quick, and he just starting coughing and… before I knew it, he had fainted…" I tried to sum everything up without exploiting anything that didn't need to be exploited.

"Tohru's been out with friends all day, I've been told."

"…So it must've been Shigure- anyways, does it matter?" I sidestepped… what was he trying to get at?

Hatori didn't say anything else during the rest of his inspection. Finally, he took out his stethoscope and began to undo Yuki's shirt…

I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks as each button Hatori undid exposed more and more of the perfectly white skin of Yuki's chest. His skin looked smooth and soft, like fog. I felt my throat go dry. Hatori placed the metal part against Yuki's skin, and I saw him flinch- the first sign of movement from him since we were in the forest.

I stepped forward in anticipation.

Yuki let a small quite moan flow past his lips, and I watched nervously as his eyes fluttered open.

"Nice for you to join us, Yuki." Hatori said absent mindedly as he repositioned his stethoscope, arising another flinch from Yuki.

"Wh-where am i…" His voice was small and frail, his lips hardly moved as he spoke. His eyes were glazed over.

"You're in your bed, Yuki. Kyo called me in a hurry, I had to get him to calm down- didn't understand a single word he was saying."

"I didn't need to calm down, dammit!" The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I regretted it immediately when Yuki's eyes suddenly snapped over to mine, formerly unaware of my presence. He looked at me in shock, and I looked back in uncertainty…

And then I saw something other then shock in his violet eyes- there was embarrassment, and also disbelief, he looked over whelmed by something, and I could see the blush in his eyes before it started to appear on his cheeks- he snapped his head in the opposite direction, probably hoping to make his blush unnoticeable, but I saw it- I didn't believe I did, but it was still there, tinting the small bit of skin I could still see from his turned head.

It all happened in a matter of seconds- but once our eyes had connected, everything went unnaturally slow.

I finally brought myself to look away from Yuki (even though he wasn't looking at me). I felt a bit embarrassed at myself, for my behaviour throughout the whole goddamn day.

I was staring at the wall to my right for a while, reminiscing on how I must've thrown Yuki for the loop of his life…

I turned my eyes back to Yuki, who wasn't facing the wall anymore… he was facing me…

And then I noticed his eyes trailing along my body—

All of a sudden I became acutely aware that I had taken off my shirt and hadn't remembered to put it back on- at the same time I realised it, Yuki's eyes had snapped back up to mine as if sensing my gaze, and as soon as he had, his was facing the wall again- but not before I could notice another blush that crept over his face- turning his skin crimson.

I felt a blush dominate my own cheeks.

Hatori finally clued in that something was going on at seeing Yuki's immense blush, and turned to look at me. Recognizing again that I had only a wife-beater on for a shirt, he looked back at Yuki's blush, and then turned his attention once more to his work.

"Kyo, how about you change out of your school uniform." Hatori said simply, placing the stethoscope on a different area of his chest. "Yuki, take a few deep breathes for me…"

My face hot and red, I raced out of the room.

(Yuki's POV)

I felt something cold press itself against the skin of my chest and I flinched and let a breathy moan escape my lips out of exhaustion and ache. I willed my heavy eyelids to flutter open.

"Nice for you to join us, Yuki." I had recognised Hatori's professional voice before he came into view through my hazy vision.

"Wh-where am I…" I managed to breathe, my own voice scaring me with its fragility.

"You're in your bed, Yuki. Kyo called me in a hurry, I had to get him to calm down- didn't understand a single word he was saying."

"I didn't need to calm down, dammit!"

My brain went into full alert at the sound of that voice, and I snapped my eyes over to where it came from. Kyo stood a few paces away with a strange look in his eyes… I was shocked to see him here, in my room, watching Hatori examine me- I felt a blush take over my cheeks immediately at seeing him… I felt utterly embarrassed at being so weak around him physically, and at the fact that he had carried me home—I felt almost doubtful that that really did happen, because it was so unexpected, so completely out of Kyo's character- but then I thought of the feeling, and the pain my chest had when he was carrying me and I knew it wasn't just a dream… I suddenly become over-whelmed by remembering what happened the last few hours, I was over-whelmed by _him_ and his ridiculously confusing impact he had on me…I felt a blush coming and I tried to hold it back- there was an odd look in his eyes, like he was unsure of something…

I felt the warmth flood my face at his gaze a little too late, and I turned my head quickly to hide it from him, although he probably already saw…

I decided to concentrate on where Hatori was placing the Stethoscope- but the over powering need to look at Kyo had me slowly peeking back over to him…

Without the intense hold me had on me with his eyes, which were gazing over at my wall, I noticed the absence of the dark colour of his uniform shirt… and I let my eyes traveled down past his face (that I had tried to mesmerize before in the clearing), along his slender neck, to the hollow at the base of his throat that looked horribly comfortable, and I finally set my suspicions straight when I saw his toned chest and the faint outline of his abs visible under his skin-tight wife-beater... I felt the unyielding urge to run my hands underneath the hem of his top, and skim the plains of his body, feel the slight bump of his abs… suddenly, I felt that intense gaze on my face again, and I looked up to see Kyo's vibrant eyes staring at me, scrutinizing my visual assessment of his thinly covered chest. My eyes widened in shock, my mouth went dry, and I felt blood rush up to my cheeks. I quickly turned my face the other way-

I sensed Hatori looking back and forth between Kyo and me before saying "Kyo, how about you change out of your school uniform."

Hatori. Ever the casual.

I heard Kyo make his escape into his room, and instantly felt better. Everything was so _intense_ with Kyo. I felt like I couldn't breath around him- or I breathed so much that I got light-headed.

Why is this happening…

"Yuki?"  
"Huh?" I looked back at Hatori.

"I said, take a few deep breaths for me, alright?" Hatori said, placing his hand against my diaphragm.

I did what he said, with difficulty at first, but soon I concentrated on Hatori instead of the absent presence of Kyo, and breathing came a little easier.

"So what's your side of the story?" Hatori broke the silence plainly.

He no doubt heard my heartbeat start to pick up under the stethoscope at the sudden change of topic.

"… What side did you hear?"

"Kyo's." Hatori said simply.

"I mean... what did _he_ say?" I rephrased. With that comment, Hatori looked up from his work and at my face. I peeked at him through the corner of my eye.

Hatori summed it up- "Kyo said he was out late, Shigure sent you to get him, it got cold, you started to have attacks and passed out."

"Well, there you have it." I murmured.

"Shigure didn't send you though." It wasn't a question.

"No."

There was a silence, which Hatori broke after a few seconds,

"Why'd you go after him on your own accord?" His voice was casual, like he was asking me if I thought it would rain tomorrow.

"Because I thought it was because of me that he was out so late." I said as calmly as I could, "I didn't want anyone else to waste their time looking for that cat if it was my doing."

"What did you do?"

There was no hoping that Hatori didn't catch the rising beat of my heart.

"We just got into another fight. I guess we both just pushed the wrong buttons this time."

Hatori nodded at the final tone I held in my voice, and didn't bring the topic up again.

He didn't need to bring it up, it was already in the front of my mind, and it wasn't going to go away anytime soon.

His hot body on top of mine, his breath on my face, the feeling of his hair, his skin, his head resting on my lap, his strong arms pulling me against his chest to carry me, his secure hold on me…

His strong-arms especially. He held me with ease close to his chest, he held me so close to his warm, firm chest… I felt so safe in his embrace, and the smell that emitted from him… it was such a cozy scent… a safe, reassuring smell. It was not a sweet one, but a comforting smell that melted the icicles from my lungs as I breathed it in…

And the crook in his neck where I had boldly nuzzled my face into… he was so warm, even in that cold atmosphere…

His chest rising and falling cyclically against mine as his breath became more wavering the further he walked with me in his arms…

It's been a while since I've felt so safe.

… If I had ever felt that safe before…

Was that normal? The safest I've ever felt was when I was in the arms of my enemy.

It wasn't just then, either…

When he had me pinned to the ground under his body before that… I should've felt absolutely scared from my sudden loss of control to him. And I was- I was scared of what he… but at the same time, I felt utterly safe under his strong hold, underneath his body weight, surrounded by his warmth…

What a ridiculous day.

I heaved a sigh and let my heavy eyelids slide closed. I heard Hatori place the Stethoscope back inside his bag, mutter a few words, and then his weight vanished from the bed as I drifted off to sleep, letting my dead body rest…

**-End-**

**Authors Note**- Gah, so? so? I know it's not very slashy right now... it's kinda very minor... but it'll pick up, so **review!** (all the cool kids are doing it.) i like knowing what you people think of it- thank you for reading!!


	7. Chapter 7

**AN-** The only time Fruits Baskets belongs to me is when i'm dreaming.

_**Chapter Seven**_

(Kyo's POV)

I woke up with a start, stretching flexibly all across my bed, arching my spine and twisting. I settled back down into my warm sheets and gave a content sigh. I felt absolutely in _heaven_-

"BREAKFAST BREAKFAST _BREAAAAAAAAKFAST!_ WHERE IS MY HOUSE WIFE? OH, TOHHRRRUUUU!" Shigure's cheerful sing-song voice actually _vibrated_ the walls of my room, let alone echoed through each one in the damn house, and if that didn't wake everyone else, his footsteps were thumping everywhere in the house as if he were playing tag with some six-year-old.

My hair stood on end at the sound of his bellowing voice- and just like that, my morning became impossibly _annoying_. All the good feelings I had about today died away with that one…old…perverted…man.

And he enjoys it.

..._Damn him…_

Frustrated over being frazzled so easily out of my content state, I kneeled on my bed and sat back on my heels, my hair a frenzy on top of my head. I blew a few strands out of my eyes, and rolled my head back, letting out an agitated groan as Shigure continued to sing mercilessly loud from downstairs. I ran a hand through my orange hair, attempting to neaten its spike-like state, and stood on my bed to get off- but the mattress caught me off-balance as the sheets twisted around me, and I fell with a loud crash to the floor

"DAMMIT, STUPID SHEETS, I'LL KILL YOU!" I roared into the floor. I shoved the sheets off my body with difficulty- then trudged my way to my pile of clothes on the floor, fuming. I pulled off my sweat pants and shoved my legs into my slacks, doing up the zipper while I tried to neaten my hair once again. I snatched at my black wife-beater- and realised that it was the last thing left in the pile…

_Dammit, where's my shirt…_

And then I remembered… I had taken it off my back after I had gotten Yuki on the bed and Hatori off the phone; it had been incredibly cold from the many hours I had spent outside in the lowering temperature yesterday… I guess I forgot that I left it in his room throughout all of yesterday night. I sighed… so I was going to have to approach that rat today after all. Great.

I tugged my wife-beater roughly over my head, making my way to my bedroom door as I did so. I had successfully gotten one arm through when I had stepped out of my room and accomplished getting my other arm through by the time I reached the bathroom. I let the water run cold as I brushed my teeth, then I splashed a handful of the water onto my face, waking me up completely.

I needed to be fully awake, fully on _guard_. Warrior mode

I made my way down the hall in my slacks and black wife-beater, and glanced down both hallways before knocking on Yuki's door after a second of hesitation.

_Im just getting my shirt back… that's all._

I didn't even hear his footsteps approach the door, but I was used to it by now so it didn't shock me when Yuki soundlessly slid the door open. His hair was ruffled, and he looked completely out of it as he slouched against the doorframe.

"Uh… Yuki? You have my shirt, can I have it back?" I said it as bluntly as I could, hoping to take advantage of his dazed state and get this over with before he could ask me anything.

But Yuki didn't seem to hear me—in fact, he seemed to have fallen asleep right there on the doorway…

"Uh… Yuki…?" I leaned forward a bit, staring at him… _Wow… he really isn't a morning person…_

I leaned closer to him, waving a hand in front of his face-

And then suddenly, Yuki's body slumped off of the doorway and onto me-

"GAH!" the sudden weight took me off-guard-- hell, it wasn't even the _weight_ that took me off-guard as much as the fact that it was _Yuki_ that did- I didn't have time to move my foot behind me to keep me from falling backwards, all I could do was trap Yuki's body against mine with my arms around his waist and gracelessly fall to the floor, dragging Yuki with me. Surprisingly, the noise wasn't loud when it hit the floor.

"Aaaaaah no way, dammit." I moaned, feeling the pain in the back of my head where it hit the floor. I hadn't noticed how tight my arms were around Yuki until he stirred on top of me. I immediately flung my arms away from him, my hands palm-up on either side of my head like I was surrendering or something stupid like that…

Yuki moaned and pushed himself up enough to see what was going on, and his bedroom eyes fell on mine. First he just looked at me- then confusion starting to creep into his expression…

"What are you doing, Kyo?" His voice was muzzy from sleep like his eyes still were.

"Wh-what am _I_ doing? WHAT THE HELL ARE_ YOU _DOING?" I retorted- still stunned from how badly this morning is turning out… _dammit…_

Yuki's brows furrowed in puzzlement "what?"

"Dammit, Yuki, don't get out of bed until you awake!" I lectured, my body as tense and stiff as a board underneath Yuki's pleasantly soft body.

Realization dawned in his expression and he stole a glance over his shoulder to his partly opened bedroom door, and back to me, "You're the one that woke me... What is it?" Yuki closed his eyes and placed an elegant hand over his mouth as he let out a soft yawn.

It was nearly the most adorable thing I've seen- his hair a ruffled mess, his nightclothes draping from his body in an unusual manner compared to his standard well-fitting wardrobe, his sleepy, violet eyes glossed over with drowsiness, his voice unusually soft from sleep- he looked so unbearably huggable-

I didn't realise that I was staring until his expression started to change- now beginning to wake up, he watched me, confused at my sudden unresponsiveness.

His face suddenly fell with boredom. He reached out and grabbed my nose, yanking my face off the ground and closer to his- "Why did you wake me, Cat?"

"Gaah-" I started, a little bit shocked at the sudden violation of my nose. Yuki raised an eyebrow at me and simply released his index finger and thumb from their grip and my head landed with a _thump_ on the floor again, "Ack- STOP IT!" I felt totally abused, does anyone see how abused I am? Not cool, dammit

This is _exactly_ what I had been trying to avoid- but I _knew_ it, I _knew_ something like this was going to happen. I rubbed my nose with a snarl on my face- then Yuki grabbed my wrist and restrained it against the floor, demanding me non-verbally to answer him.

"Yhvmshrt" I muttered, feeling a blush creep up to my face—my blood was such a traitor.

"What?" He didn't look annoyed- he just looked like he had no clue in hell what I just said.

I growled at the back of my throat before trying again. "You have my shirt."

There was a moments pause were we just looked at each other.

And then, to my complete embarrassment… Yuki's eyes wondered past my face, down my neck, and to my chest—

Thinly covered by my wife-beater.

Yuki looked to the end of the hallway and blushed "-oh," was all he got out.

" '_Oh'_? Does that mean I get it back?" considering the situation I'm in, I'd say I'm controlling myself pretty well.

Yuki rolled his eyes, "Of course, you stupid Cat, why would I want to keep your dirty laundry?" Yuki pushed himself up and off of me. I grumbled something along the lines of "_your_ stupid" and "grumpy rat" and pushed myself up onto my elbows as Yuki disappeared into his room.

I glanced down the hallway and pushed myself up off the floor.

… _Why am I always on the ground?_

I leaned against Yuki's doorframe, my arms crossed against my chest with a distempered look on my face as I let my eyes settle on anything but Yuki.

"You know where you put it?" Yuki suddenly broke my concentration, but didn't even bother looking around at me.

"Somewhere near your bed." As soon as the words got out, I regretted them immediately- I felt a blush coming, but I kept it down- Yuki turned around and looked at me with a startled look on his face, but as soon as he looked at me, he turned away and to his bed, searching for my shirt.

He was making slow business probably because he was still half asleep. I heard him heave a sigh out of exasperation "Kyo, please refrain yourself from leaving your clothing in my room," he said that in a slightly exhausted voice.

I rolled my eyes and snorted, "I'll try my best- no promises." I said sarcastically. I pushed myself away from the doorframe and made my way over to where Yuki was having trouble trying to go through the sheets that trailed over the floor from his bed-

_Probably happened when he tried getting up_.

I felt a grin tug at the corners of my mouth.

Yuki finally was able to rescue my shirt from the tangle of sheets, and he stood up and walked towards me with it. As he did, I felt my pulse race. I wish I could've stopped it, I wish I could figured out what's making my heart go so ecstatic so I could avoid to… whenever it raced like this, nothing seemed logical anymore, accept the most irrational things, I cant even explain… it was like I was driven by a whole different force entirely.

I swallowed. Yuki extended his arm to hand me the shirt, and I picked it up eagerly and made to leave his room when his hand suddenly grasped my wrist in a firm hold, keeping me from escaping.

Even though his skin was cool, it set mine on fire.

"Kyo-"

"Don't." The word was sharp out of my mouth before I even thought about replying. Yuki's expression didn't change except that it got a bit more insistent.

"Kyo, we have to talk about this sometime. We can't just forget about it."

I shook out of his grip and started to slide my arms through the sleeves of my uniform shirt, "Speak for yourself, 'cuz that's exactly what _I_ plan to do." I said stubbornly.

Yuki sighed- "Kyo- you cant just ignore it-"

"Watch me, rat boy." And with that, I turned and left his room, refusing to be kept there a moment longer.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** I keep on having them on the ground with each other… My apologies, I will mix it up a bit. Tell me what you think! I mean it, I want to know. Chapter Eight is UP! So **review**, and read on!

-thank you!!


	8. Chapter 8

**AN-** i dont own Fruits Baskets-

**Chapter Eight**

(Yuki's POV)

School went by fast… a bit too fast for me, the weather was beginning to get colder and I was hoping it might get warmer out, but the sky only looks like it got even more unpleasant for my health.

I sighed.

I hope I wouldn't upset Tohru if I started coughing on the way home…

I walked with her as planned, and I hadn't coughed at all as we walked through the forest. She talked about the time she spent with her friends yesterday, and I took deep interest in it. I really do enjoy hearing that Tohru is doing well, sometimes I worry about her- I wonder if I'll ever stop worrying about her…

"-It was so fun, I hope we do it again soon!" Tohru finished off with a huge smile, I grinned back at her.

We walked in silence few a moments, and I looked over to her, and noticed that she had that determined look on her face- the kind she put on whenever she was trying to pump herself up to do something.

"What is it, Ms. Honda?"

She looked over to me and bit her lip, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you know where Kyo is?"  
She's always been very careful with the subject of Kyo with me, because of our abnormal relationship of ultimate loathing with no real substantial reason.

I just shrugged, "He probably skipped a few classes, I wouldn't worry about him if I were you."

She nodded, and jumped into another conversation- I tried to concentrate on what she was saying- but all I could think of was Kyo.

I was still in oblivion about him. I didn't know what to think… but even more, I didn't know what to feel…

Tohru and I, on arriving home, separated ways when we reached our rooms. I loosened my tie and placed it in my closet along with my shirt after I had unbuttoned it and slid it off my delicate shoulders. I pinched the zipper of my pants between my fingers and dragged it down before sliding my pale, slender legs from its confines, just to turn around and slip them back into a different pair of pants. I slid my arms through another shirt and finished dressing.

I turned to the corner of my bedroom, picked up my backpack, took out my history book and sat down at my desk to finish my homework.

I hadn't realised that I had fallen asleep until I jolted straight up and out of a peaceful atmosphere when I heard a knocking at my door. I turned around in my seat as I saw Shigure lean inside, "Hello Yuki!" He smiled at me,

I turned back around in my seat and returned to my work.

"Ooh, Yuki that's not nice!" Shigure whimpered, and when I didn't reply he dropped the five-year-old act and continued, "I'm going to visit Ayame-san, and he invited you to come with!"

I put down my pencil and pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers, "Just leave, Shigure."

"Alright, if you say so… Tohru is out getting groceries- so please be so kind to let her in when she comes home, no nasty tricks, alright Yuki?"

I felt the annoyance begin to bubble and I rolled my eyes.

"_Alriiight_, Yuki?"  
I whipped around and shot a death glare at the Dog, who screamed, and slammed the door. I listened to his footsteps as he ran squealing down the stairs. I sighed and rolled my eyes again. I waited a few minutes after Shigure left until I got up from my seat and made my way downstairs, needing a break.

I entered the kitchen and prepared some tea for myself. I took my time, not looking forward to going back to my room- but not able to think of anything else I could possibly do.

I added some honey to my tea and let it steep, leaning my back against the counter, trying not to think of certain frustrating topics including a certain frustrating orange-haired boy.

When my tea was ready, I picked it up and sipped it on the way to the porch outside. The air was a bit chilly, but it made me appreciate my warm tea more, so I lowered myself onto the hard wood and cradled my tea in my lap, looking over the land boarded by trees spread out in front of me.

After a while, the sun had found an opening in the sky and created a spotlight of gold on the ground a few feet away from me.

I wondered to myself if it was warm, or if the cold chill in the air would nip it away if I tried to stand in it. Sighing, I tilted the cup one last time to my lips and finished off my afternoon tea.

The honey had a kind of comforting taste to it, a feel, even. It's sweet subtly was gentle in my mouth as it mixed in with the warm tea.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from amongst the trees, his orange hair stealing all the attention from the beautiful view. I exhaled, set my cup down, and lifted myself up from the porch.

I waited to greet Kyo.

**-****End****-**

**AN**- ah sorry it's so damn short- it's just a bit of a prelude to Chapter Nine—


	9. Chapter 9

**AN-** alright, everyone who has reviewed- thank you so much, you've made me feel wonderful and entertaining. those who just read, thank you for reading.  
I dont own Fruits Baskets, Kyo or Yuki... I'm getting really depressed saying this every chapter. it's really getting drilled into my head...  
i'll stop yacking so Kyo can get on emerging from the forest:

_**Chapter Nine**_

(Kyo's POV)

I made my way through the tree's- my 'shortcut' I had improvised when the path just began to bore the hell out of me didn't seem to be living up to its nickname after I decided that I should've reached the house half an hour ago.

I wasn't complaining though, I'm sure it's pretty agitating to get lost in a forest- but _I_ wasn't lost. I have my natural instinct, and therefore, am a God of direction.

I just decided that the 'shortcut' would take a half-an-hour longer then the normal path would… anyways, I wasn't really clicking my heels to listen to Shigure yap about his latest novel.

I finally found an opening in the trees and approached it.

The house was in view, and I come out of the forest. I advanced towards it at a slower pace then I had in the forest. I heaved a sigh and stuffed my hands into my pockets, approaching the only patch of sunlight on the clearing.

Then, as I looked over to the house again, I made out a figure standing in the shadows of the porch. I stopped in my tracks and glared. Even though it was in the shadows, i could tell the figure was slender and held itself with elegance, undoubtedly that damn Yuki.

_The hell's he think he's doing?_

We both stood there for a few seconds- Yuki basked in the shadows, and me lit in the grey shade cast by the sun through the grey clouds- until I watched Yuki step off the porch and advance towards me.

"Good afternoon, Kyo." His voice was light, but I could still sense his exhaustion in it.

"What do you want, rat?" I said.

"I need to talk to you-"

"Do you not listen?!" I barked. "I _don't _want to talk to you, so leave me the hell alone!"

Yuki sighed, "I do listen, Cat, why don't _you_ for a little while-"

I felt something in me snap- "YOU WANNA FIGHT, YOU DAMN RAT? _I'LL PULVERISE YOU!"_

Yuki finally reached the pool of sun and stepped inside it- for a moment I forgot to breathe…

The sun seemingly danced against his shining hair when the slight breeze weaved through it. His eyelashes dragged small shadows across his cheeks, his pale skin seemed to glow underneath the light, and his violet eyes gleaming in the sun, making the sincerity in them more over-coming.

He let out an exasperated sigh, "Do you have to make everything into a fight?" Yuki poised his body even more elegantly, unconsciously flaunting his graceful and slender figure, "How about this- if you can manage to hit me once right here and now, you don't have to listen to a word I say, and I'll forget about it."

I was a bit taken-aback at how he hadn't made a comment about it being a waste of his time, how he had better things to do, or telling me to grow up. "If you don't hit me- you listen to what I have to say." He finished.

My rage metre? Nearly at the top.

I was _furious!_ That was _insulting_! If he doesn't think I can hit him, he's got something coming to him really fast in the shape of _my fist_!

"Or are you such an amateur that you aren't even going to try because you know it's hopeless?"

That dinging? My rage metre.

"YOU DAMN RAT!" the words were out of my mouth before I had even registered what he had said and my legs were carrying me at full speed towards Yuki, my arm already drawing back, ready to throw a punch at him- but just before my fist was about to collide with Yuki's face, he disappeared and I stumbled toward the ground, but caught my balance and slid to a halt, turning around without hesitation to take on the rat again.

We were at it for at least half an hour: me on constant offence- attacking from each direction with every move my body could recall, and Yuki blocking each blow, dancing around me as he read through my every attempt to hit him… both of us equally motivated competitors in the fighting ring of sunlight.

And finally, after a series of rapid flying fists, I could nearly _feel_ the impact of my fist on his face just before it hit and-

He had snapped his head back- my fist nearly skimming his nose, but that was it- I gave out an enraged roar, and put all my energy into speed instead of force-

_Just hit him Just hit him Just once that's all you need, GODDAMIT JUST HIT HIM!!_

Somehow, through the devilish speed of my fists, Yuki got behind me and was able to latch onto one of my arms, twist it behind my back, and coil those cool, long, pale fingers around my neck-

And suddenly I felt his insisting voice breathe chilled air in my ear "What has you so infuriated, Kyo? It's not like my words are gonna chew off your delicate ears."

I know he wasn't trying to be seductive… but _damn was he ever good_

"I DON'T WANNA LISTEN TO _ONE DAMN WORD_ YOU HAVE TO SAY!" I roared twisting my arm out of his grip and swinging my leg in the air-,

"Then you better get it together and _hit me._" he avoided my kick with insulting ease. "I'm not going to do this for ever, Kyo."

And we were at it again, swinging and kicking, dodging and disappearing, my destructive aggressiveness and his graceful evasiveness- my mosh against his waltz.

I was starting to get out of breath but I didn't let up the speed of my attacks… however the effort was pointless, because a second later I heard Yuki say, "Your stubbornness is _exasperating_," and out of no-where a blur flew at my chest and I felt Yuki's foot hit my centre of gravity and I went soaring backwards.

My back crashed onto the ground, and I slid backwards out of the momentum or Yuki's kick before I was finally immobile, knowing that I had lost. I stayed there, out of breath, eyes closed, my chest rising and falling rapidly into the air as I panted for breath, my body sore from over-exertion.

It was only when a shadow moved over my closed eyelids, blocking out the sun, that I opened them.

I looked up at Yuki standing over my exhausted body, the sun behind him giving off the illusion that he was glowing- if I hadn't been so familiar with his beautiful face, I would've sworn he was an angel.

Yuki looked down at me- his expression unreadable. I felt ashamed at even attempting to hit him at all, and defeat reeked from me like the bitter smell of blood. I looked at his eyes for a moment- then having that embarrassment fill me, I turned away.

But after a few seconds, I looked back up at him. He was looking off somewhere, seemingly oblivious of me panting and over heated from my attempt at a fight, at his feet. Then he sighed, looked down at the ground, and in one swift movement he was sitting beside me.

We sat in silence a little more then a few seconds, both of us seemingly listening to my breath as it began to settle down, Yuki looking as if he was contemplating how to say something.

Finally, Yuki turned his face in my direction, but his eyes didn't look at mine, instead they absent-mindedly seemed to be watching my chest rise and fall with each breath I took. I tried to make out the expression he had on his face- but before I could his eyes had locked onto mine.

"Thank you."

There was silence… where I waited expectantly….

I was taken a bit aback… anticipating a huge lecture or a stream of questions, his brief answer felt unfinished, but his tone was final and unavoidably sincere- his eyes impacting me with its honesty.

I hoisted myself up into a sitting position, me facing the forest and him facing the house.

"… Is that it?"

Yuki's voice was casual, "Yes."

I scrutinized his expression… then I moved the arm closest to him across his lap and rested my hand close to his hip on the ground and leaned against it so I was practically right in front of him, an unconvinced and inspecting look on my face as I narrowed my eyes at him, "What are you hiding?"

Yuki rolled his eyes, "Nothing, Kyo."

I kept my eyes narrowed, he continued, "What were you expecting me to say?" he said in an obvious tone.

I scoffed, "Tsh, I dunno- something all humble and shit that makes me sound like some kinda heroic softy." I said in all seriousness, but Yuki looked at me with shock, then a smile broke over his face as he let out an amused laugh- I was taken aback by the sound… it was so beautiful, and _real_… I had never heard him laugh like that before… and maybe it was just because I was more close then I usually am when he smiles that this particular one blinded me… but either way, I felt my heart stop- his eyes were _shining_…

"_You?_ A _heroic softy?"_ his voice was light and carefree, and his laugh rang out gently again- like bells, like a calm winter's night, it felt so natural, so effortless… not the laugh I was used to hearing from him in the odd moments when he would.

I felt the startled look on my face change to an offended expression,

"Hey, _hey_- I can be a heroic softy if I wanted to be, you got it?" at seeing how seriously offended I was, his smile widened and he let out another laugh…

The smile, the laugh—it flowed right through me and rested inside my internal organs- loosening the tenseness of my body and before I could restrain it, I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth as I watched a side of Yuki that I had never known before… he was _glowing…_

Yuki seemed to notice that slight curve at the corners of my mouth- and I saw his eyes soften to an inhumanly gentle gaze.

_I knew it… I knew there was something he was hiding…_

His smile calmed down to a pleasant grin… and before I realised what I was doing, I was leaning forward… shifting my weight from my hand to my shoulder as I came closer to that mesmerizing face, the small grin that had graced his angelic face slowly fading away as anticipation took its place when he realised that I wasn't going to pull back…

I felt his breath against my mouth, and was plunged back into the memory of our second encounter on the ground… but this time I wasn't pinning him down… granted, I had trapped him in some sense, but he could pull away right? He could reject me, right?

His breath blew gently against my face again, and I was close enough to feel it vanish just as it flowed past my lips… it smelled delicious and warm, but felt pleasantly cold against my hot skin… my mouth began to water again… I wasn't paying attention, so when my nose brushed against his cool one; I had twitched back a little, my eyes snapping open. Now aware of more then just his breath, I intentionally brushed my nose against his affectionately, closing my eyes slowly as I let my nose move down to his cheek as I started to close the space between us…

I felt the coolness of his skin even without touching him; I was so close to him…

I was completely overwhelmed by his scent; it filled my head like smoke, fogging up any other thought… every single logical thought…

With an unbearable slowness, I brushed my wet, warm lips against his smooth, pink, cold ones… every single fibre in my body was _electrified_- I rolled my lips against his and felt my pulse go an outstanding two hundred miles per hour at the softness as he breathed into my open mouth… I brushed mine against his again but with more insistence- and felt my mouth water at the sensation… it wasn't confidence, but over-powering temptation that fuelled me as I moved my mouth down his until his lower lip was occupying the part of my mine… I slowly closed my lips over his, capturing it into the heat of my mouth- the coldness of his soft mouth seared through mine like electricity over water… my heart stopped…

I let go of his lip, taking in a shaky breath as he did the same, before I captured it again- I felt Yuki's upper lip close over my top one, capturing mine in-between his at the same time- my breath hitched at his first reaction since his smile had vanished…

I felt adrenaline at his response and pushed my lips adamantly against his, feeling them soft and wet against mine…Yuki answered the insistent force of my lips by pushing gently up against mine once more… he tasted sweet, cool, and delicious, like ice cream on an intensely hot day, and I could taste honey as he breathed inside my mouth… his lips began to grow warmer underneath mine…

I was getting so light-headed…

All of a sudden I felt Yuki's hands clenched at my shirt and shoved me away- I had to throw my hand behind me to brace myself from falling on my back again- fear and shock struck me at his sudden reaction, and then Yuki hunched over, breathing shakily...

My head was spinning, I was out of breath, every inch of my skin was on fire, and my heart was pounding against my ribcage as the adrenaline started to slowed in my veins...

And then I realised what I had just done- _I just kissed Yuki_

At the same time it hit me, Yuki looked up at me through shocked eyes…

_My heart hammered_

**-End-**

**AN**- The two buttons you should be clicking are the ones to the bottom left, then right of this page. The more often i get reviews, the more often I'll update- I need some motivation and you can give it to me!  
Anyways, i dunno about anyone else, but -I- can see Kyo being a Heroic softy...  
Thank you for Reading-


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

**AN-** there is no owning of Fruits Baskets going on here- but there is much loving for you splendid reviewers! To all of you: i value all of your comments, thank you so very much, you have made me feel so special  
CHAPTER TEN! I DID IT!! Ten whole chapters...

_**Chapter Ten**_

(Yuki's POV)

The moment I felt his warm moist lips against mine, I was completely lost in the feeling. All the thoughts that had bounded me in shock as he drew closer to me just disappeared- and suddenly all there was, was Kyo.

I felt him roll his lips against mine, and my pulse was thundering in my veins- all I could feel was his warmth, all I could taste was his soft lips, all I could smell was his woodsy, musky scent coming off his heated skin…. He brushed his lips against mine again- and I sighed against them. I felt his lips trailed to my bottom lip and capture it into his warm hot mouth- I felt my body start to melt from the fabulous heat that radiated from his skin…

When he drew back every-so-slightly, I inhaled quickly, not realising that I had forgotten to breathe… but soon Kyo's hot breath was back in my mouth as his lips sealed themselves around mine once again- I closed my lips over top of his- and I felt him inhale sharply at my reaction before he pushed his mouth more insistently against mine, the soft heat of his lips was so persuasive and alluring, I found my body reacting for me- immediately moving my lips against his and dwelling in the sensation it sent through my body like a fuelled fire…

But once more, I had forgotten to breath, and my body became weak from Kyo, and my lungs quivered helplessly...

I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and pushed him away- needing air, and i was finally able to start catching my breath.

It was then that I became hyper aware of Kyo, pushed arm-length away from me with my hand still gripping his shirt…

… _Whoa wait… wait wait wait what just happened what just happened…_

I was looking up at Kyo before I could stop myself…

_Did he… did he just kiss me??_

I saw the fear and shock plain on his face as he looked at me… apparently he was just as surprised as I was at what just happened… for lack of a _much _better word…

I felt his heart hammer underneath the hand I still had at his chest…

I looked at him with questioning eyes-

Then Kyo shot up and made to run, but my hand on his shirt stopped him from going any further from me as I refused to let go-

Feeling my reluctance, he looked down at me, panicked, grabbed my fragile hand, pried it from his shirt and took off into the house with blurring speed.

I sat there, stunned.

Well… that was interesting.

I looked down at the ground, trying to gather my thoughts. Trying to register what just happened…

I wasn't doing too well with that. I was light headed, his musky, woodsy scent still swirling around in my head…

My lips felt cold without the soft warmth of Kyo's against them, and I touched my fingertips to them.

_Why… did he do that...?_

I frowned, _why'd he do that and just run away?_

I let out an exasperated sigh… no point just sitting here.

I lifted my weak body off the ground; some of it still partly jelly from Kyo's un-expectant performance.

Turning away from the house, I decided to take a walk in the woods for a little while.

I just wanted to get that one thing off of my chest- I didn't want to make this more complicated then it already was…

I should've pushed him away, I thought as I stepped over a root poking mischievously out of the ground, I should've just pushed him away before he got any closer_…_ But something had stopped me from pulling away, from avoiding him…

I was feeling better, the cold air blowing his scent from my head, I could think clearer. I tried to think of what the _hell_ I was thinking, not pushing him away… and then I remembered. I remember that- obscenely blissful feeling when all the tension in my body had vanished from his reaction to my thank-you.

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch from a smile.

I felt so light-hearted… I usually kept myself as composed as I could around Kyo, refusing to show emotion to him. How could I open up like that around the one person who loathes my complete existence?

But, for some reason, the way he had reacted to my apology was so ridiculously _Kyo_ that I couldn't help but be utterly amused by him. His childish competitiveness was so constant in him; I didn't know how he did it.

It was then that I had felt the smile inside me before I felt it form on my lips- and the laugh, it felt like my heart was _singing_. Not one part of that moment was I even thinking about restraining myself- I felt at peace with my emotions for once, not trying to push them away or hide them, but allowing them to over come me.

And then, I saw something on his face… it was like he was looking at something that was enthralling- that had captured his complete attention… and during my short moment of light-hearted ecstasy, I saw the corners of Kyo's mouth twitch upward…

That was the closest thing to a smile I have ever seen from Kyo, and I wanted it to grow, I want to see him _smile_… but even that small grin that curved from his mouth, I was still taken aback.

And before I could register it, his mouth was inches from mine…

My foot tripped over something and I was thrown off-balance, stumbling forward, and catching myself on a tree. I leaned my forehead against the bark, trying to take a few deep breathes-

I was able to handle the cold atmosphere more now that my body didn't feel so weak… but the chill of it still faintly stung at my chest as a warning. I had better start getting back before it got any colder.

Deciding that I had given Kyo enough time to find a safe hiding spot, I made my way back through the trees and to the house.

I walked across the clearing and bent down to pick up my forgotten cup from the porch. The warm atmosphere greeted me happily when I stepped into the house and made my way into the kitchen-

"Yuki!"

Startled, I saw Tohru was also in the kitchen, back from her grocery shopping. I relaxed.

"Hello, Miss Honda, how are you?" I asked, trying to push the distress of the previous event away to make way for a welcoming smile- feeling slightly disappointed when this one hadn't flown through me the way my earlier smile had that Kyo instigated…

"I'm wonderful! -" But Tohru's smile soon faded a bit as she struggled for a moment-"Do you know where Kyo left to? I came home and he looked kind of upset… he just left without saying a word."

So that stupid cat did run away… figures.

I smiled again; trying to settle Tohru's nerves "I'm sure he's just taking a trip to the Dojo. Don't worry about Kyo."

"Did you two have a fight?"

Apparently I wasn't doing a good job at calming her down.

At my lack of timely response, Tohru continued, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry- Kyo just looked all upset,"

"Don't worry, Honda-San, Kyo always over-reacts. I'm sure he's just fine."

I saw Tohru try to convince herself, and I offered to help her with dinner.

I needed something to keep my mind off that cursedly unpredictable cat…

**-End-**

**AN- **I am so proud of myself for getting to CHAPTAH TEN I've had such a blast writing this, I've been staying up all night working on this story... so if parts of it suck, I'll blame it on my lack of brain cells when i wrote it. I would absolutely -love- to hear what you readers think, so please **!review!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

**AN-** ... oh me gads, you are all too nice to me, I am so excited to keep on writing this, i am so happy that you all like it so much!  
I do not own Fruits Baskets- I do not own Kyo- I do not own Yuki- but if i did, life would be hella good.  
And so I present to you-- CHAPTER ELEVEN!!  
readreadreadread and pleeease enjoy:

_**Chapter Eleven**_

(Kyo's POV)

I slowly began to wake up, the light from the sun spilling into my room. It had been a few days since I had… since the incident with Yuki.

I had been spending a lot of time at the Dojo, letting out my frustration from that damn rat. I would have _loved_ to let it out on _him_, but I didn't want anything else to happen involving him and my stupid reactions.

It wasn't my fault, it was his… I don't exactly know how to back that up, but its all his fault, dammit!

I heard something rip and looked down at my hands- they were clenching at my sheets, which I had accidentally tore.

I threw them off of me, and pounced out of my bed- stretching my arms high above my head and twisted my spine. I let out a sound that was suspiciously like a purr as I felt my body loosen from my sleep. Swinging my arms back down, I looked around my room and found my clothing in a pile on the floor like usual. Ruffling my electric orange hair, I got dressed and made my way to the bathroom to wash up.

Afterwards I went back to my room, leaned through the doorway and grabbed my backpack, swinging it over my shoulder as I went down the stairs.

When I dropped my bag by the entrance I made my way back into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Footsteps came down the stairs as I pulled out the carton of milk, and I looked over my shoulder.

"Morning Kyo!" Tohru said pleasantly.

"Hey," I mumbled-

"Tohru!!" Shigure called from the dining room, "Come hither, my darling house wife!"

"Coming!" Tohru made her way past me and into the dining room.

"Dammit, Tohru, don't let him talk to you like that," I said crossly. Tohru looked at me in surprise, but then flashed me a smile.

"It's alright, I don't mind!"

"Yeah, well, _I _do- you're gonna make him think that's okay!"

Suddenly something hit me in the head "GAK!"

Shigure had popped out of the dining room, "Kyo, don't talk to my house wife like that!"

I put my free hand to where the item hit me, "You- YOU DAMN DOG, DON'T THROW STUFF AT ME!"

"Can we keep the yelling to a minimum when it's 6:30 in the morning?"

I turned around out of reaction and saw Yuki standing at the entrance of the kitchen, adjusting his tie.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Yuki!" Tohru panicked. Yuki gave her a reassuring smile

"Please, don't apologise Tohru, it was those two idiots, not you." He said.

I noticed immediately that that smile was nothing like the one he had on so effortlessly a few days ago with me. For some reason, I felt a spark of satisfaction inside of me-

But before Yuki could look at me, I turned away, feeling agitated at his presence.

"It's most improper to talk about you elders thus which." Shigure retorted, raising his chin, sounding offended and trying to get superiority through his voice.

I snorted.

"I don't consider you an elder, Shigure," I heard Yuki say absent-mindedly, "and it's also 'most improper' to instigate the Cat this early, you know how he over-reacts."

There was a moment of silence when _static electricity_ swept through the air while Shigure and Tohru seemed to be waiting for my reaction- I felt every hair on the back of my neck stiffen, but I refused to look at that damn rat, even as the double meaning in his voice and words carried through me.

If _he_ thinks he can 'instigate'_ me_, he had another thing coming to him.

"U-u-uh" Tohru panicked, "Yuki! Would you like me to pack your lunch for you?"

"It's alright, Miss Honda," Yuki's voice was sugar sweet again, "I can do that myself, but thank you."

I heard everyone leave the room as I tipped the carton to my lips, and drank the cold milk. I felt better after having my morning milk sit in my stomach pleasantly, and I put the carton back into the refrigerator. I turned around, running my hand through my hair as I felt the agitation start to lower-

Then I noticed Yuki standing in the middle of the room, looking at me with a some-what agitated expression, his arms crossed over his chest.

I felt every part of my body tense, as I registered his presence… _dammit, what the HELL?_

I started to sense the upcoming blush activated by his gaze and the memory, and I didn't give it a chance to surface- I trudged over to him, shoving at his shoulder, pushing him aside as I stormed to the door, grabbed my backup and left without taking once glance back.

--

(Yuki's POV)

It had been another few days since Kyo had pushed past me in the kitchen- making it close to a week since the other more intimate incident between us. But during the growing number of days since the event, I found myself starting to feel more and more agitated by how he was ignoring me. Over those days I couldn't get him out of my head, I couldn't get that moment out of my head… And slowly, the feeling that he had sparked inside of me when his lips were against mine began to grow, making itself more pronounced, and before I knew it- I wanted to be near him like that again. The importance Kyo had made me feel from all the attention he would usually give me from his anger, or from those incidents, was beginning to vanish as Kyo started to keep himself away from me longer and longer… I didn't feel needed any more; I was beginning to feel empty… I wanted him to hate me again; I wanted to make his eyes lit up in rage, I wanted to see _some_ kind of emotion in those eyes that _I_ could create…

I wanted to have some kind of effect on him again, like he does on me…

I wanted to know if I had some kind of effect on him.

I had kept myself busy with my studies while Kyo seemed to be doing the same with the Dojo.

Today, I was upstairs studying in my room, and was starting to feel my brain shut down after half an hour. I hadn't realised that I had fallen asleep on top of my work until I heard a knock on my door and Shigure's voice-

"Yuki! Yuki, you must be my companion on this wonderful new adventure I have recently gained information on-"

"I don't want to go to Ayame's shop, Shigure." I said firmly, twisting around in my seat.

Shigure looked shocked- "Who said I was going to his shop?"

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever you're doing with Ayame-san, I want nothing to do with it."

Shigure looked at me with a pleading expression.

"_Nothing_." I repeated firmly.

Shigure heaved a dramatic sigh, "_very_ well…" He said overly exasperated. Suddenly he perked up right away "Tohru will go with me!"

"Wait- no-"

"TOHRU!" Shigure called with his hand to the side of his mouth, "OH TOHRU! COME HITHER!"

I put my face in my hand. _Dear god…_

"Yes?" Tohru popped up.

"I'm going off to Ayame-sans shop, and he's been so devastated with how long you have kept yourself away from him- do you not like him anymore?"  
"Don't make her panic-"

"What! OH NO NO! No, I really do enjoy his company, I really do! I didn't mean to keep myself away from him- I didn't think-"

"Then you must come with!" Shigure sounded urgent- "Now! Before he feels that you have abandoned him!"

"Shigure-" I tried to cut in, but Shigure kept teasing Tohru, and Tohru being the ignorant innocent she was, believed his every over-dramatic word, and was soon being dragged by Shigure down the stairs to leave-

"Good-bye beloved Kyo!" I heard Shigure chime from somewhere near the front door.

"Get the Hell outta here!" I heard Kyo's voice come from the dining room. Shigure squealed and the front door opened and slammed shut with an audible squeak from Tohru.

I rolled my eyes, feeling sympathetic towards Tohru, and returned to my homework…but after five minutes, I found myself nearly nodding off again at the lack of ability it had to hold my focus.

Or maybe it wasn't the fact that it didn't hold my focus, but the fact that my focus was somewhere else completely… more specifically at the Cat who was probably still downstairs at this very moment…

Sighing in exasperation and agitation at Kyo, I stood up and made my way with effortless silence out of my room, across the hall, down the stairs, through the kitchen and advanced to the dining room. I slid the door open, and saw Kyo sitting at the table with an opened book in front of him. His eyes shot up to mine at my entrance.

I leaned against the doorway and crossed my arms over my hips.

Kyo narrowed his eyes at me, neither of us willing to be the first to look away.

Finally, I grew impatient. "Look, it doesn't matter to me if you don't care, but I do, and _your_ going to co-operate with me and _talk_." I threatened, obviously talking about the kiss and how he's been ruthlessly avoiding the topic and me.

"Oh yeah?" Kyo sprang to his feet "I'd like to see you try, _rat boy_"

I gave him an instigating smile, pleased with a reaction, "If you want to have a go, it's your move, you _stupid, immature cat._"

I could see the infuriation hit his breaking point, and Kyo lunged across the table with impressive ease and didn't waste any time in stalling the fight: he immediately starting throwing punches at me- his fists a blur as they came at me from left, right, and straight on- but I dodged them with ease.

Kyo pulled back out of frustration, reared up his elbow past his shoulder, and threw a punch that would've done a lot of damage if I hadn't blocked it off with my forearm, drawing it off its course- and curled my fingers around his wrist, restraining it. He roared in fury as he threw his free fist at me, but I had just caught it more easily then the other one.

He thrashed backwards, trying to get out of my grip- but I didn't feel like tantalizing him much longer, so I twisted his arms around each other, bending them up against his shoulder, crossing his wrists, placed my foot behind the heel of his, and flung his weight over my back- flipping his body over mine, through the air, and sending him crashing onto the dining table with such violent impact, that the table broke and slid to either side of the room at the collision of his body.

Before he even finished letting out the shocked sound he made, I was straddling his firm waist, restraining his wrists against the ground. "WH-WHAT THE HELL, GOT OFFA ME!"

I rolled my eyes at the close resemblance this moment had to the quarrel we had two fights ago that started this whole mess, and waited for him to stop yelling absurd things, and to stop thrashing underneath me.

I was pretty confident that he wasn't about to go anywhere without my permission anytime soon.

It took his stubborn self a little while to recognize that it was no use, and that hadn't surprised me- what did was that it didn't take him as long as I would have thought.

It pleased me that he was getting less and less reluctant to accept things when it came to me.

When all his yelling and cursing reduced to heavy breathing, and when his thrashing turned to occasional tugging and constantly tense muscles, I sighed approvingly.

"Well, Kyo-" I started in an 'I-told-you-so' tone, "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

He bared his teeth at me, his cat-like fangs an empty threat when I pinned down the leverage of his body. His eyes narrowed "Yeah," his voice was clear, but soon turned into a venomous hiss "_I'm gonna rip off your arms and stuff them down your goddamn throat, you stupid rat!_"

I didn't feel very patient when Kyo talked to me with that tongue, so I gathered both his wrists into one of my hands and pinned them above his head, and used the other one to grab a fistful of his animated orange hair and jerk his head off the ground, meeting his face halfway with a few inches between. I stared harshly into his red eyes blazing in fury, trying to communicate with my eyes my lack of hilarity at this situation.

"You know what I mean, _cat_."

"_Do I_?" He snarled into my face. I slammed his head into the floor, earning a painful sound from his mouth, and brought his face back up to mine. I decided to make it more specific to his simple mind.

"Why did you kiss me?"

I felt Kyo go even more tense underneath me and he gave a small groan from pain, for a second I saw the rage in his eyes give way to something soft- but then he looked away from me.

Why couldn't he just tell me?

His eyes, refusing to look at mine, went impossibly hard.

"I didn't kiss you, you damn rat-"

"Don't even." I interrupted, my voice threatening.

I could feel his body temperature raise more then a few notches as his whole face blushed.

By the snarling look of infuriation on his face, I could tell he was close to giving in….

"If you don't tell me why you did it, I'm gonna tell everyo-"

"It just happened, alright?" His voice was outraged and defensive. "It's not like I _meant_ anything by it, why can't you just drop it, you damn rat? And stop flattering yourself- It's not like I wanted to, its not like I was in the right state of mind, got it?" His voice was venomous…

I put his head back down, and had slowly loosened my grip on his hair.

He's right... That stupid cat is right… why am I flattering myself?

He was probably just taking advantage of me… making fun of me, laughing at my vulnerability.

He hadn't meant anything by it….

Why was I reacting like this- I didn't care if he meant anything by it, I just wanted to know _why_-

But for some odd reason, disappointment tightened my insides…

I felt my shields fall completely off… what was the point keeping them up around him anyways. He already thinks I'm weak… he's already taken advantage of it…

I felt the grip I had on his wrists loosen as I felt a familiar feeling wash over…

Rejection.

It hit me harder then I thought it would- I didn't think it would impact me this much… it was _Kyo_…

I never thought I could feel rejected by him anymore after the first day I met him…

But I had put myself in that situation again, and this time I was more vulnerable.  
Everyone I wanted, needed... they didnt want or need me... how come I thought Kyo was any different...

I rested my hands on his chest in front of me and looked at my trembling fingers.

I wanted to move, to run, but I was paralysed…

I was trying to think- trying to clear my head- but I was panicking, my heartbeat thundered against my ribcage, and my vision blurred before I could realise that I was just about to cry…

**-End-**

**AN-** btw, the 'item' that hit Kyo in the head was Shigure's fan. Cuz those are often handy in the assault business nowadays.  
oh and please **Review!** Reviews are pretty awesome, thank you to those who do. I really hope you liked this... if not, then tell me why so i can fix it up...


	12. Chapter 12

**AN-** This is basically most of last chapter extended in Kyo's POV. I dont own Kyo, or Yuki, or FruitsBasket.  
So I redid this chapter- well, not i didn't really 'redo' it, i just cut off the beginning of Kyo's POV cuz it started where Shigure was leaving with Tohru but nothing important was going on his head except 'damn rat' and 'i'm gonna kick his ass' so now that i have readjusted it, you must read:

_**Chapter Twelve**_

(Kyo's POV)

"_Gah!"_ my back collided with the dining table, I felt it break under me, and I hit the floor- the immense pain shooting through my back and head- but before I could even register it, Yuki was straddling my waist, and had my hands attached to the floor by his.

I knew he meant business but this was just- who the hell did he think-

"WH-WHAT THE HELL, GOT OFFA ME!"

I felt my voice against my throat as I yelled obscene things at him and thrashed against his grip, refusing to give in to that _damn rat_.

Sooner then I would have given in, I found that I had stopped yelling at him, and had stopped my resistance… Yuki was obviously not going to move an inch until he was satisfied, but he couldn't make me co-operate, he couldn't make me say _one damn thing._

My breathing was heavy and erratic, and even though I knew he wasn't about to just let go of me, I still tugged reluctantly at his grip. If he was going to leave me an opening, I was going to take it. Yuki sighed appreciatively, a triumphant gleam in his eyes… my breathing got more undefined.

I _really hate_ this guy.

"Well, Kyo-" his voice was mocking at my effort, "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

I bared my teeth, flashing my fangs in a threatening manner, completely _pissed off_.

"Yeah," I started conversationally, and then let my venom seep into my hiss: "_I'm gonna rip off your arms and stuff them down your goddamn throat, you stupid rat!_"

Then my hands were pinned above my head, which I felt jerk up after Yuki grabbed a fistful of my hair not too gently, his face mere inches from mine as he lowered it. The harsh look in them making it clear he was not going to toy around with me.

"You know what I mean, _cat_." His voice was concrete, it wasn't a hiss or a false gentle, but it was menacingly firm.

"_Do I_?" I snarled- that was the wrong answer: I felt the back of my skull slam into the hard ground, and a searing pain shot through my head and I didn't even bother to stop the noise of sudden pain that escaped me- but as soon as he had slammed it against the ground, he had brought my face right back up to where his waited.

It would take more then _that_ to-

"Why did you kiss me?"

His direct words shocked me, and I restrained a blush with difficulty.

"I didn't kiss you, you damn rat-"

"Don't even." His voice was sharp and cut me off.

I felt a horribly timely blush burn my whole face- I concentrated on the pain that was seeping into the bones of my back from where I had broke through the table… and then flashes of what he was referring to jumped back to my mind- I shot myself out of my short reminisce, and looked away from the rat before he caught anything.

Why'd he have to be so _damn_ direct?

Has he no _goddamn SHAME??_

He wasn't going to give up till he was satisfied by my answer- but I still wasn't going to tell hi-

"If you don't tell me why you did it, I'm gonna tell everyo-"

"It just happened, alright?" The defensive words flew out of my mouth in a sharp voice, "It's not like I meant anything by it. Why can't you just drop it, you damn rat? And stop flattering yourself. It's not like I wanted to, its not like I was in the right state of mind, got it?"

I should be used to lying through my teeth- but this time it felt... almost cruel and wrong-

My head rested back on the ground, and I felt the tight pull Yuki had on my hair loosen.

I was too embarrassed by the whole situation, I didn't _want_ to talk about it… because honestly, I had _no clue_ way I did that… well I had a general idea of it, but nothing I could explain…

Was it really just a few days ago?

If he was trying to get something out of me so that he could laugh even _more_ at my expense, he had something coming.

I wasn't about to tell him that I… I was entranced by him… I wanted to stay that way forever, have him completely for myself… the smell, the taste, his eyes, his moan, I wanted it all for myself.

_I wanted him completely to myself._

I wanted to be the death of him, I wanted to be his _pain_, I wanted to bring out things from him that no one else could, I wanted to make him weak, I wanted to make him look so completely radiant as he did the other day when his smile was unmasked- it was like I was seeing right into his soul… I wanted to be the one who could completely throw him off-balance…

I wanted to be to him what he was to me.

Because if I were, I would have complete control over that _damn_ rat- the same way he did over me.

How could I say that to him- even when I could barely admit it to myself?

When I wasn't even sure if that was anywhere near the reason why…

I couldn't help but look at him, even though I knew he was glaring down at me with his nose sniffing the air- but as I did I was completely thrown off-guard… his death-grip on my wrists loosened, and his expression wasn't angry or frustrated, or even determined…

He placed his trembling hands on my chest in front of himself… and he looked as if he was in painful realization… I could see fear and agony in his unmasked eyes…

_Oh god, what… what the hell…?_

The shield… his shield was completely gone, there was _nothing_ hiding his pain- there was nothing veiling himself, nothing protecting him… I lost my breath….

I didn't think my words would have mattered to him, but he looked like they had just torn through him…

Wait- he _believed_ me?

How the _hell_ could he believe me when I say something like _that_ after he saw me, looked straight into my unmasked eyes those last states we were in…

When he had looked at me then, it was like he was looking right through my skin, like there was nothing I could hide… I thought he knew and he was going to _pry_ it out of me…

I wasn't planning on telling him, I was just planning on agitating him enough for him to give up…

I didn't think…

All of a sudden his over-whelming emotional eyes began to quiver…

I felt regret sear through me like a blade on a healing wound…

_Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT, _Yuki, _Don't do this!!_

I didn't want to hurt him like that…

His eyes began to glisten, he shrunk into himself, and I could tell he was trying hard not to let his eyes over-flow.

_Dammit, don't, don't, please don't-_

But that one, small, innocent tear leaked from his eyes- clung for a second at his eyelashes then slid down his pearl white skin…

My heart gave a painful throb, like my ribcage had shattered against its earlier rapid pounding and bits of the bone had embedded itself in my heart…

I didn't mean it, I didn't _mean it_,

I felt completely out of my area of expertise- how the _hell_ do you comfort someone you just lashed at? But I had to fix this- I couldn't let him hurt because of me, how come I could hurt him _this_ way but not physically? It was completely _unfair!_

Hesitant and unsure, I lifted myself up on my elbows as Yuki's shoulders hunched forward and more tears began to overflow down his cheeks silently.

I reached out with one hand; the other one holding me upright from behind, and cautiously moved it slowly towards Yuki. I could push him off now and be rid of this whole thing. It would be over, right? I'll just push him away from me. I _hated_ seeing him so weak… I couldn't _bare_ it; I wanted him to yell at me, to smash my head against the floor again, to tell me I was pathetic.

I wanted him to do that to _me,_ not _himself_.

That _damn rat_-

I was about to shove him off, my hand almost at his shoulder… when it suddenly changed course on its own accord: My finger tips brushed against his jaw line- and Yuki's hand quickly pushed it away, cringing from me- he opened his mouth to say something but nothing seemed to be able to come out.

I didn't try again for a few seconds, but when the tenseness in his shoulder was more relaxed out of weakness, I moved my hand to his face again. I brushed my fingertips against the cold skin of his cheekbone, going from soft to wet as my fingers intersected the stream of tears crawling down his face.

He cringed away again- but his reaction more delayed then last.

That gave me enough confidence.

I slowly reached my hand out again, this time to his chin. I tilted his head up, using a little force when he resisted, and tried to look into his eyes- but they refused to look at me.

I took in his face- he was even more beautiful, if possible, with the glistening of tears running down it, the skin around his eyes glossy and slightly pink… it was a different kind of beauty, it was the kind that pulled at your heart strings and had you forgetting how to breathe…

I let my thumb run along the skin just beneath his bottom lip- and this must've caught his attention, because I felt his eyes snap back to me. Now that I did have his gaze on me, I was too scared to look into it… but I forced myself to, anyways.

I was thrown by the power of his eyes- they were even more over-whelming when they were glistening with fresh tears… had I really stirred that much emotion inside of him?

I pushed my upper body further forward with the hand behind me, and slowly moved my face closer to his, until I could feel his ragged breath brush a few strands of my orange hair away from my face.

His breath ghosted across my lips, and it felt cold- making my heart prance.

His hands hadn't moved from my chest, and they were shaking against my shirt, unsure of where to go- they seemed like they were prepared to push me away if I got too close.

When my breath fluttered across his face, blowing a few of his long silver hairs across his face, I felt the pressure of his hands increase against my chest…

The gesture was clearly trying to push me away with unbelievably weak effort, but when I felt his hands pressed against my upper abs, I felt my muscles twitch under his touch- causing a churn in my stomach.

My breath hitched- and I ignored his uncertain protest…

We never let go of each other's gaze. I was scrutinizing his expression, trying to get an idea of what his reaction would be… but all I saw there was shock and uncertain anticipation…

And there was no doubt his hands on my chest couldn't feel my blood pulsing towards him- even my _blood_ was wanting to get closer to him.

I felt the air thicken when I got so close that all I could breathe was his breath- cold but still with a delicious taste… if it were possible, his breath tasted even more mouth-watering then it had before…

It might be because the situation was more intense, and maybe my heart was pounding because I _wasn't_ pinning him down, or trapping him in, because I knew that any second, he could reject me the way I had rejected him.

I suddenly had the highest respect for him- _damn, this takes backbone…_

I could feel my body trembling in anticipation to his reaction… and I'm sure he could feel it underneath his hands, but I wasn't going to back down until he made me.

And he would really have to make me; I wouldn't stop until he showed me he really didn't want this.

His breath filled my lungs, making my body temperature shoot up higher… I could taste him on my tongue already, cold, sweet, luscious- I remembered the feeling of his cold lip being sucked in-between mine, and felt my mouth water…

I was so close to that taste…

His breathing filled my head, fogging my every thought… I felt my fingertips trace along his jaw line slowly, emanating a subtle shutter from his already trembling body.

We were breathing into each other's mouths, and I tried to swallow, but my throat felt too thick…

I stopped a breath from his lips- thinking to _contemplate_ what I was about to do, but then he exhaled and his taste filled my mouth, and I couldn't hold back anymore… I let my lips skim against his bottom one…

My mouth watered more at the taste of his lips, the taste I couldn't get out of my head for so long…

I didn't want to stop myself this time- I didn't have him pinned down, didn't have him trapped, he had an easy escape- this was his choice, right? If he wanted to pull away he could, right?

I was pulled out of my thoughts when he exhaled again in my mouth… I pulled back briefly, running my tongue across my lips before capturing his- but at the same time that I did so; I felt him copy my movement, smooth and moist-

He was responding back, that was a good sign wasn't it? I'm not forcing him, am I? This is okay, right?

I felt exhilarated—and couldn't help but move my lips more insistently against his… he just tasted to damn delicious…

In response to how my lips captured his with more eagerness, I felt him react the same way almost immediately after—his own lips so wet and soft against mine… and I couldn't resist anymore, I curved my tongue in a restraining way past my teeth and to the inside of my lips- I let my tongue slowly slip past my lips and skim against his bottom lip… my wet tongue rolling easily across his cold lip, like warm water across ice.

My mouth watered more at the taste of his lips, the taste I couldn't get out of my head for so long…

I dragged my tongue across his upper lip—and at the same time that my tongue did so, I felt something cold and wet slid across my bottom one…

I felt my breath hitch, and I restrained a groan… I had never _dreamed_ that Yuki's tongue could be so wet, so _soft _against my lips- the chill of it sent the hair on the back of my neck on end in anticipation…

My rapid questions were brought to an end swiftly when I felt the contrast of his wet tongue against my warm one—the wetness was overwhelming and I snuck out a groan through my breath-

My teeth captured his cold bottom lip, and I took it into my warm, wet mouth… and I felt more then heard Yuki's breath hitch.

I let go of his lip, and ran my wet tongue across it once more- and I could have sworn I heard a small moan when he exhaled into my mouth.

Feeling braver and more confident in myself- I dragged my lips softly along his… then I pushed his lips further open with mine and slid my dripping wet tongue into the cold cavern of his mouth…

Yuki inhaled sharply- disguising a soft moan- while I didn't even bother concealing mine- I gave out a sharp moan at the feeling of his cold, wet, soft mouth that surrounded my hot drenched tongue.

Yuki's hands dragged across my shirt-covered chest, moving away from each other, underneath my arms, and to my back, where they pushed our bodies closer together.

When his chest was pressed up against mine, I could feel his heartbeat pulse against me- vibrating against my ribcage.

His lips closed around my tongue as I slid it out of his mouth- then I licked my lips and closed them around Yuki's bottom lip, and sucked.

Yuki exhaled a whimpering groan that was so quiet, I wouldn't have heard it if my senses weren't so hyperaware to his every reaction. I brought my tongue out again and lapped at his lip before sliding it past them and into his cold mouth once more.

Yuki's lips pressed against my mouth- connecting ours as my tongue dragged across the roof of his mouth.

My blood was thickening at the heat- and would have filled my head with its throbbing if every sound Yuki made hadn't over-powered it.

The hand I had at his jaw dragged over his ear and into his silky hair, which I gently grabbed a handful of.

My tongue dominated his mouth while my other hand placed itself on his knee- I felt Yuki's leg tense against my side at the touch and his mouth pulled away from mine to let his breath hitch, but when he seemed to relax against it, I slowly dragged my hand inch by inch up the side of his slender leg- enjoying how the further up I went, the faster his breath would come- I kept my mouth a mere breath from his- enjoying feeling his breath grow faster into my mouth…

Using the fistful of hair I had, I gently tugged his head back, exposing a deliciously white neck in front of my very hungry eyes.

I ran the tip of my nose from the base of his neck up to his chin, and then returned back to the hollow between his collarbones, and ran the tip of my wet, warm tongue up the cold skin of his neck. I changed direction to follow the underside of his jaw- at the same time, still running my hand up his thigh, pleasuring at his uneven breath. When my tongue reached his ear, my fingertips reached the waistband of his pants, which I tugged at briefly before sliding my fingers underneath his shirt while my tongue traced the shell of his ear…

Finally, I was awarded with a very impressively restrained moan that slid from his parted, rosey lips that had resulted in my blood rushing to the lower half of my body, and I moved my mouth back to his, about to claim his soft lips with mine when-

"YUKI! KYO! I'M HOME!"

We both yelped in shock, flying away from each other with over-exaggerated force-

When Tohru entered the dining room at hearing us, we were on opposite sides of the dining room, breathing heavily, cheeks rosy from arousal-

"OH NO!" Tohru yelped in surprise, Yuki and I stared at Tohru in horror- "The table's broken- did you two get into another fight?! You didn't hurt each other, did you!?"

Yuki and I both jumped into babbling sentences reassuring her that neither of us got hurt and everything's all right- after _a lot_ of persuading on our part, she finally started settling down.

"Are you sure? You both look like you just ran miles in seconds," She said, concern drenching her words, we both plunged into reassuring her again, and soon she smiled.

"Alright! I'm sorry I took so long to shop, but I have everything now! I'll get dinner ready right away!" She went back into the kitchen, leaving Yuki and I alone.

All of a sudden- the air was _unbreathe-able_

I glanced at Yuki, who glanced over at me at the same time- heat flared at my cheeks, and I raced from the room.

**-End-**

**AN-** I've made Kyo such a scared little kid, running away all the time...Poor guy, Yuki's so intimidating…

… Yes, I know… I gotta stop writing these scenes in Kyo's POV, I'm sure Yuki would like his side told once in a while about how damn awesome it is to kiss Kyo-- I dunno why, it just always ends up that way.

...**REVIEW!!**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN-** Fruits baskets is a masterpeice, thus it doesnt belong to me. Thank you _everyone_ who has reviewed! It means so much to me, i would be moping around in the gutter with my story if it wasnt for _-every- -single- _one of you.  
and to And Thus- I Fangirled- I really appreciate the feedback, and I readjusted the last chapter hopefully to a more appropriate state- but i did know where you were coming from, i was just all unsure about what to do -kahk-  
But I will keep that piece of advice for further preformance, I am happsy that you appreciate the way I'm trying to portray Yuki, I've tried really hard to get a good grip on his character- and the same with Kyo.  
Hah, and actually in this chapter I try to define their character more, get a thicker look inside their heads, so have a read and see what you lot think:

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

(Yuki's POV)

I put my head under the surface of the bath water- trying to wash off every feeling that's overflowing inside of me. I couldn't get rid of the_ immense_ confusion, the unexplainable shock, the irrational pleasure, childish amusement, grown-up annoyance… but most of all, the immense, unexplainable, irrational, childish and _very_ grown-up attraction.

All of it triggered and stimulated by that one person.

That one immature, over-reacting, irrational, illogical, over-exaggerating, ill tempered, and over-all _exhausting_ person.

Surrendering to my lack of oxygen, I resurfaced and inhaled gratefully, smoothing my wet hair away from my face and leaning against the rim of the bath.

No matter how much I try, I can't get him out of my head…

His insufferable nature, the way he's so erratically stubborn in the most obviously hopeless situations, the way he gets infuriated over the slightest thing, the way his eyes would glow radiantly with every emotion he showed, his lack of self-restraint-- the way his body always seemed to be unnaturally warm, the natural scent he had that made my insides warm, the wetness of his hot tongue inside my cold mouth, his hand snaking up my thigh, his hot breath against my mouth, his heavy rough moan in my ear, his warm fingertips brushing against the skin underneath my shirt…

I shook myself out of it before I totally lost myself in the memory…

I hadn't seen Kyo since our last encounter, and it had been a long two days that went by in a flash. I hadn't seen him because I always had to go early and stay late at school due to student council, and I've heard that he's been spending more and more time _still_ at the Dojo as well.

I guess the distance between us was good; I really needed a break from Kyo- I've been meaning to try and sort out all the things that are going on in my head... But every time I try to, I get so frustrated with myself and with Kyo, or I get too confused and have to lay down for a while, or my mind wonders off to a more specifically off-subject matter of the topic that involves _-alot-_ of Kyo...

So the rational part of me was hoping that this would keep up until it would logically be able to figure all this out… but the irrational side of me was getting overly impatient, and consistently trying to persuade me to forget figuring it out, and see where it puts me.

Thankfully, though, the irrational part of me was only dominant whenever Kyo was in a fifteen-meter radius.

But over the past few days of Kyo's absent presence, my irrational side has been beginning to get louder.

I sighed, feeling a huge weight on my chest, and heaved my suddenly heavy body out of the water, and smoothed my hair back once more as the room-temperature air made my skin cold in contrast to the bath as I stepped onto the floor, soaking it as I dripped water everywhere.

I reached for a towel and dried myself off absent-mindedly…

He had completely confused me when I tried to get the truth out of him. He told me he didn't mean anything by it… but now that I think about it, that's a really pathetic excuse… especially since he had his tongue in my mouth a few minutes afterwards.

I swallowed.

It had been a few days, but the feeling was still the clearest memory I have.

It was like I could still taste him…

I slid my hand onto the wall and leaned against it, trying to keep my balance as the light-headedness kicked in. my stomach fluttered and I had to take a moment to catch my breath.

I dropped my towel and put my free hand to my face.

"Get a grip, Yuki… its just Kyo."

But that was _exactly_ the problem- it was _Kyo_… or more technically, it _wasn't_ Kyo.

It wasn't Kyo at all- at least not the Kyo I had known and _loathed_ for so long…

Now it was like… like something had been uncovered, like I was only seeing him through fogged up glass.

I dragged my hand down my face, groaning out of frustration.

With a sigh, I gathered my towel from the floor and disposed of it in the laundry basket.

--

(Kyo's POV)

I opened the sliding door of the Dojo and picked up my shoes to leave. I felt a warm breeze against my face as I made my way to the end of the porch and sat down. I was exhausted- I had tried to let out all my frustrations on my lesson today, but still didn't even get half of the aggravation out of my system…

End result: I was feeling even worse cuz now I was agitated _and_ sweaty. At least the day was nice… the sun was beaming down from the sky, but I was sheltered in the shade from the Dojo roof. The warm breeze weaved through my fight-mused hair.

"Yo."

I saw Haru sit down beside me through the corner of my eye- already changed out of his uniform. Haru didn't wait for my response, even though I wasn't going to anyways. "You were pretty intense today, Kyo. I think you're getting better."

"No, you're just getting worse."

"Perhaps I am."

Haru looked contemplating. He sat there for the remainder of the time while I shoved on my shoes.

"… No…"

I rolled my eyes, _here he goes…_

"You were more driven then you usually are." He looked off into space as he spoke, "You've always had the motivation, but you're motivation is for the wrong reason… but today, you seemed different- like you were fighting for yourself- not for…"

My agitation skyrocketed as I felt myself stiffen at where this conversation was going. I slowly turned towards him dangerously, bending my knee and resting my forearm on it as I gave Haru a look daring him to continue.

Haru didn't seem to notice though, he kept on staring into space with that far-off look in his eyes, as if he were deep in thought, simply muttering "a mystery..."

I gave a sigh that was more like a growl and shoved myself off the porch- feeling _done_ with this place… but knowing I would be coming back tomorrow to try again, anyhow.

I could feel Haru watch me as I disappeared from view in the trees, but I didn't turn around to make sure.

Everyone's been staring at me lately- I can't be acting all _that_ weird…

The only thing that I've been doing lately is… well, is that I haven't fought with Yuki. But that's just cuz he's never around.

All right, so maybe I've been avoiding him a bit… I just haven't proven to be very self-controlling around him; I don't want to lose my head again. I _hate_ losing to that damn rat.

The walk back home helped clear my head. It was nice for once that it was warm today- it's been cloudy and cold for the past few days- co-existing with my mood. Now that it was more bright and warm, I felt out of place, and wondered if my mood would go along with it. But I shouldn't expect that much from myself.

I didn't understand why I'm being the way I am over Yuki… I shouldn't be wasting my time on that damn rat, he's probably just soaking in all the attention I'm giving, pleasuring in the fact that he has one more person wrapped tightly around his long elegant finger.

I sighed a growl and felt my hand curl into a fist. It was obvious that he only acted like it mattered to him what I felt or why I did what I did so he could play with my emotions. Whenever I was away from him I always came to this conclusion. It was the only plausible reason, the only one I would accept. But the moment I see that glimmer in his eyes, when I smell his sweet breath, when I feel his slightly-less-then-warm skin on mine- he truly does have me around his finger… emotionally, psychologically, and physically (in a figurative way, of course). I cant escape him when I get that close, when he pulls me in that deep… at that moment I feel like he doesn't even _know_ that he's pulling me in deep, that it's _him_ that makes me act with such lack of self-control... whenever I'm that close to him, _he_ has my control. He has it completely and  
_DAMMIT IT PISSES ME THE HELL OF!_

I kicked a tree out of rage- it was either the tree or my foot that cracked, but I didn't feel it either way because my body was so overcome with intense fury.

I stormed the rest of the way through the forest until I got to the house, where I planned to march myself inside, up the stairs, and into the washroom, turn on a scorching hot bath that would hopefully keep my mind off of that _damn Yuki._

(Yuki's POV)

I can barely sleep anymore, not like I had before… but this time, whenever I did sleep, it would _never_ be peaceful- it was usual for my dreams to be about my… childhood, if that's the appropriate way to describe it, but lately my dreams would star a certain orange haired boy who was driving me quickly to insanity.

I swear, he's _determined_ to send me in an early grave; he gave up on doing it physically, so he decided to tamper with my head.

Well, the cat was starting to get smart.

"Yuki?"

I was brought back to reality by Tohru's unsure, small voice. I looked up at her, and saw that she was looking down at my hands-, which had been the architecture to destroying the food I was trying to prepare by my lack of concentration.

"Oh- I'm sorry, Miss Honda, I guess my mind just wonder off a bit…" I looked down at the mess I made, "I'm sorry, I've ruined your dinner… I'm horrible at cooking, I knew I shouldn't have helped…"

"No, no! Don't say that- it's not ruined!" She gave me a wide smile, "It's just got a bit of 'you' in it!"

"I hope that 'bit of Yuki' isn't one of his hairs,"

I turned around to see Shigure enter the room, stretching as he winked at Tohru "You know, Yuki's a terrible cook- I thought I had warned you about that…." Shigure tapped his chin, scanning his memory, and then shrugged, "Anyways, you'll see what I mean."

I looked down at the unimpressive cooking I seemed to have accomplished, "I _hope_ I didn't ruin it…"

I felt Shigure clap his hand on my shoulder, "It's alright! We'll just avoid eating the… the…" I looked over at Shigure, who was looking at my cooking in puzzlement and muttered "Well, whatever it is…"

I looked down at it; _I really did ruin it, didn't I…_

"Oh well! Kyo will eat it!" Shigure suddenly said, flashing a ridiculously huge smile-

"I'll eat what?"

As a reflex, I whipped my head around to see Kyo standing at the doorway leading to the front entrance.

_He must've just come in…_

I noticed his orange hair was slightly damp with sweat, and my suspicions of him being at the Dojo was confirmed… he had a very fresh look to him, like the forest after a rainstorm, his hair ruffled into a wind-blown state… I could almost smell the musky scent escaping from his body…

"Yuki's cooking, of course!" Shigure said, and he continued rambling on, but his words didn't register in my head- because Kyo had looked right at me. His radiant, red eyes looked _right at me. _I felt completely bare underneath his gaze and felt a blush begin to burn at my cheeks- this was the first time since the last few days that he even _glanced_ in my direction…

But just as soon as his eyes met mine, they snapped back to Shigure- and I turned quickly back to my mess of cooking- trying to hide my blush…

_Get a grip, Yuki, honestly._

"Tsh, whatever." Kyo said in that your-an-idiot voice of his, obviously annoyed by Shigure, and I heard him walk across the kitchen and advance up the stairs-

"Oh- Kyo!" Tohru chimed in, and his footsteps stopped- "Dinner will be ready soon- I don't want your food to get cold if you're going to have a bath…"

"Don't worry about it, I'll be quick." And with that his footsteps reached the top of the stairs and started to fade away until I heard the washroom door shut.

I realised I was holding my breath, and I let it out. _Oh no, not a good sign…_

With only one brief look, Kyo had managed to make me blush and lose my ability to breathe…_definitely_ not a good sign…

I helped Tohru bring the food out onto the newly bought dining room table, and then, complaining of a sore stomach, escaped to my room before Kyo could finish his 'quick' bath.  
I hadn't noticed Shigure's curiouse look as I did.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** Yuki, it's all good, I suck ass at cooking too. I once made pancakes, and they looked so pretty on the outside, and i gave one to my little sister... and when she took a bite the pancake mix started to flow out of the pancake... i had to throw out every single one.  
It bothered me for days.  
Anyways, i was a little nervous about this chapter because there isnt alot going on. It's all talking and thoughts and nothing really exciting happens... but i had to do it. please **!Review!** I love hearing from you bunch. Suggestion are welcome, critisizem is welcome, i would be kinda impressed if anyone found anything in here to flame about... but that wasnt really an invitation to flame... and compliments would be amazing if you feel like i deserve it-  
Thank you so much for reading, and Chapter Fourteen is coming!


	14. Chapter 14

**AN-** hey hey i'm back with chpt. 14- i do not own FruitsBaskets. You know, I've never seen the anime, i've only read the manga's... but dammit, I'm only up to nineteen! The translation doesnt come out yet until July sometime... but that's close, so I'm -excited-...  
Anyways, to you who have reviewed-- _nnnn_ THANK YOU!! I was so worried everyone would find that last chapter _boring _so I'm really glad that I could make a good chapter without having anything epic happen. please read and enjoy:

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

(Kyo's POV)

I was relaxed in my seat, the back of my neck resting against the chair, staring at the patterned ceiling. All day I've been trying to focus on doing my work or keeping my mind well away from a certain velvet-eyed demon. Yes, that's what I've decided he was… a demon from my own goddamn personal hell.

I felt my eyes slide shut and I drifted off- compensating for the lack of sleep I had gotten last night. I was going to have to keep my energy up if I was going to ditch the house and visit the Dojo again.

_Hope that damn ox isn't there… so damn creepy._ (**AN**- btw, I _love_ Haru, not taking a hit at him- Kyo just doesn't seem to appreciate his space-headedness…which is what makes him bloody awesome-)

It was when the bell rang to switch to our last class that I decided to open my eyes again—

And was greeted with many staring pairs of eyes-

I felt my shoulders tighten and skin crawl- _Okay, never mind, Haru's completely normal… these guys are Creepy-_

"Aw Kyon-Kyon, you look like a little kitten when your asleep-!"

"GEDDA HELL AWAY FROM ME!" I jumped onto of my desk and over top of their many heads (there were more then I thought!) and stormed to the door, fuming, leaving the impressed murmuring behind.

When I had marched into my other class, I threw myself down into a chair and hit my head against the desk and kept it there, steadying my breath.

_Dammit, couldn't the creeps stick to Yuki and just leave me the hell alone?_

The class started and I spent it calming myself down, clenching and unclenching my fist, mesmerizing every spot and pattern on my desk. I had calmed myself down in fifteen-minutes-, which was a record when it came to controlling myself.

Now, as long as nobody instigated me, I would be fine. I only had one more class after this, and I plan to be done with it, go to the Dojo and knock _some_ of my frustration out of me.

The bell had rung in-between a speech the teacher was giving- everyone still stayed obediently to listen- but I got up and made my way out of the classroom, not caring about all the eyes on me.

I walked down the school hall; my hands in my pockets, an indifferent look on my face. I was on my way to my last class- I hadn't thought about Yuki all day, and I planned to keep it that way…

But my hopes were soon crushed when I heard a voice call out my name.

I turned my head around and watched Tohru approach me.

I waited until she caught up with me until I started to walk again,

"Um- Kyo…" She asked uncertainly, and I grunted in response, she continued- "Can you do me a favour?"

Due do the hesitation in her voice, I sensed it wasn't something I'd like.

"What is it?"

"Umm well…" She played with her fingers, "My teacher needs me to stay after school to re-do this test… and I haven't been able to find Yuki and I told him I'd walk home with him so I was wondering if you could tell hi-"

"Whaat?" I noticed my energy was back, "Get someone else to, go ask one of his damn fan girls."

"But they… they don't like me…"

I looked over to Tohru noticing her shy tone and that she seemed really nervous to ask me to do this for her- and I let out a huge sigh of exasperation.

"_Fine_, I'll tell him. Jeez, like you could've asked me when I had class with him this morning." I peeked down at her, and she was looking up at me- when she caught my glance she smiled.

"Thank you so much, Kyo- I'm sorry, it wont happen again!"

"Better not." I warned—but with no heavy tone in my voice. "Go to class." I had reached my classroom and opened up the door, leaving Tohru and entering.

The effort I had put into keeping that damn rat out of my head had suddenly relinquished- because all throughout this one last class, he plagued my every thought. And I was starting to get highly frustrated.

Did she expect me to walk with him? Cuz I'm not going to.

The teacher kept rambling on about some kind of politician or another, and I tried to concentrate- but her voice sounded so gross when Yuki's filled my head the way it was right now.

The class dragged on painfully, but was over much too quickly for my liking, and soon everyone was out of the class in anticipation- while I was still getting out of my seat- reluctant to what I was going to do.

_I don't have to tell him- he can figure it out for himself._

I made my way down the hall and was heading for the front doors when-

_Dammit!_

I swerved my path and was heading to Yuki's last class- storming more then walking as I agreed to get this over with _as soon as possible._

--

(Yuki's POV)

I heard the bell ring, symbolizing the end of school, and while everyone jumped up and left- various people saying good-bye to me as they walked by- I found myself to be, yet again, the last person in the classroom. I put my books into my bag and glanced out the window beside me as I did. It was bright outside- that was nice. I wouldn't have to scare Tohru with my coughing on the way home…

I glanced over to the door, then back to the window for a brief second. I turned, made my way around my desk and then weaved amongst the many others, heading past the classroom door and into the crowded hallways. I was heading for Tohru's last class when-

"Hey- Rat Boy."

Acknowledgement of the voice had my senses bristling as I turned around to see the orange-haired feline making his way up to me from down the hall. His shout had caused attention towards us, and I sighed before he reached me, "Can you _please_ refrain yourself from calling me that here- or anywhere public for that matter."

Kyo ignored me as I started to walk in the direction I was originally going. But I felt him grab a fistful of my uniform at the shoulder and jerk me back to him, dragging me until I started walking on my own alongside with him.

"Tohru's not gonna walk home with you."

"…What, so you are?"

"WHAT? NO! WHY THE HELL WOULD I WALK WITH YOU, YOU STUPID RA-" before he finished, I collided the heel of my hand into his face and sent him stumbling back from the force into the lockers behind him with a loud clang.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FO-"

I turned toward him with firm eyes, "I thought I told you not to call me that in public."

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO _HIT ME!"_

"That's usually how you get a stubborn pet to learn." I saw him start to shake with fury, "Now come on before you start a scene."

I made my way down the hallway with no expectation that he would follow. I opened the front doors and walked out of the shadow and into the sunlight, feeling its warmth against my face…

Then the cat was beside me- well, not exactly beside me… we were the same length away from each other from when Tohru would walk home with us- but it looked a bit odd without Tohru filling the space in-between us. He had a fist stuffed in his pocket and was glaring ahead, grumbling a whole reel of words, some of them I could make out as "_damn rat"_ "_thinks he can do anything_" and _"stupid lockers_" as he shoved his forearm across the skin underneath his nose, which was smeared with blood from my assault.

When his sharp eyes snapped over to look at me to see my gaze, he decided to roll off a few words I could hear- "I'm _not_ walking with you, I have to go this way too, so don't even _think_ that you-"

"Don't flatter yourself, Cat." I said simply, looking straight ahead.

"-- What, so YOU can call me CAT and _I_ cant-"

"We're not surrounded by people, now, are we?"

I could almost feel his rage as it circuited through the air like a looming thunderstorm.

But I had forgotten about it when- "Prince Yuki!"

I heard my 'nickname' being chimed in unison by four all-too familiar voices. I turned around, the Cat imitating my movement, and watched as four of my… admirer's approached me with cheerful smiles.

"Goodbye Prince-Sohma, it has been such a pleasure seeing you at school!" One said musically. "You looked very lovely today!" Before they even finished, i could sense Kyo start siezing up in frustration-

"Do you know how much effort I put into deflating that damn ego of his that you're feeding?" Kyo barked, cutting in before I could reply- apparently letting out all the aggravation I had just foolishly implanted in him, "The only thing you love about him is his goddamn looks!" … They looked a bit taken aback- and I chose to step in.

"Please forgive my cousin, he has a bit of trouble controlling his anger… but thank you, it was a pleasure seeing you as well."

Their smiles were back on in a very feeble way as they nervously bowed to me before leaving in the opposite direction. I sighed, turned around, and kept walking, Kyo in step with me.

"Could you please restrain youself from insulting everyone in the school who talks to me?"

"You cant make me restrain anything, you damn rat." then I heard Kyo scoff, "What the hell do they see in you anyway?"

"I don't know, maybe the same thing you do." I said it to tease him but-

"Hell no, no one see's what I do in you."

The words hit me with unbelievable shock- and I heard Kyo's hand slap to his face as we both froze in our steps and I whipped my head around to look at him.

His eyes were wide with shock at what had just came out of his mouth- just like mine probably were.

"W-what?"

Kyo suddenly had his fists clenched out to his sides, and was yelling at me in defence- "I MEANT THAT I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN YOU! DON'T GET ME WRONG!"

I rolled my eyes, sighed, and kept on walking- "Well, usually when you kiss someone there's something you see in them."

"I DIDN'T KISS YOU, YOU DELUSIONAL RAT!"

_Was he for __real__?_

I turned around to look at him- he hadn't taken a step forward yet, and we were now five paces apart. "Don't be stupid."

Kyo's face was red with rage and embarrassment, and he let out an aggravated roar and stormed past me.

"CAN'T YOU JUST _DROP IT? _IT'S NOT LIKE I MEANT IT!"

I began walking as well, "It sure seemed like it." I said it casually, with a bit of accusation in my voice.

"AAARG!" Kyo whipped around to shoot daggers at me with his eyes "AT LEAST _I_ WASN'T THE ONE _CRYIN-"_

I had grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulled him towards me and collided my fist against his cheekbone before I could even register what he had even said.

Kyo was on the ground from the force I had put into punch- his cheek already starting to bruise and his lip starting to drip with blood… he looked up at me in shock and I glowered down at him- genuinely livid. I quickly turned from him and walked at a slightly faster pace- i had felt the familiar sting at my nose from the insisting angry tears, but I pushed them down easily. I wasn't going to waste another tear on that immature little feline.

Suddenly I felt Kyo's hand grab at my uniform and I whipped around and shoved him back "_Don't touch me, Cat."_ My voice was dripping in venom.

He narrowed his eyes at me, "Stop being such a damn _girl!"_ he shot.

"_I'm_ not the one _PMS-ing_ all over the place." I retorted, gaining a disgusted look on his face. "What the _hell_ is with you??"

I said that with sincerity and frustration… it wasn't a rhetorical question- I really wanted to know.

Kyo looked like he was going to say something- but he stopped himself "Augh, just never mind, you dumb rat." He walked past me, "Just forget what I said."

I watched him walk a few more steps ahead of me.

Why did he have to be so bipolar?

I caught up to him with ease and fell into step with him- neither of us saying a word or looking at each other.  
I was beginning to feel a bit nervous when Kyo hesitated at telling me whatever it seemed he was trying to... could it really be all that difficult? So he can kiss me but not tell me why? What was so complicated that not even _Kyo_ could come up with _something_ to say?

"You're so infuriating." I said after a while of silence.

"Good."

I rolled my eyes, "-And unbelievably immature."

"You're not all that perfect yourself."

I leaned my head back, looking up at the gleaming sun overtop of us, lighting our path. "I know."

**-****End****-**

**AN-** … please dont get mad at me for making Kyo say what he did- everything worked out fine, Kyo got sucker-punched in the kisser, and Yuki had a sentimental moment looking at the sun... he's gonna ruin his eyes.  
I know nothing exciting has happened for a while, but hang in there with me- i'm building people, building.  
But _please_ **!REVIEW! **i love reviews, love em love em i wanna eat them all up and have them sit in my stummy.


	15. Chapter 15

AN- Fruits Baskets does not belong to me, and I do not belong to Fruits Baskets

**AN-** Fruits Baskets does not belong to me, and I do not belong to Fruits Baskets.  
umm... i am very flabbergasted by all of the reviews I'm getting... I had to take a few moments to calm down every time i read one, i felt so lovely . thank you so much, thank you all -so- -so- much.  
(_small_ readjustments were made due to the observations of And Thus- I Fangirled- thanks you for how familiar you are with Yuki's character, I really appreciate your advice to make my story better.)

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

(Yuki's POV)

I began to wonder if there was… something Kyo was trying to hide from me- at least something completely different from what I had been theologizing about. Usually he puts no effort in hiding his emotions or holding anything back from me- I got that idea by his unrestrained rage and his… other actions on a different level. But since the walk in the forest- that was the first time Kyo had_n't_ given me a straight answer, even if it was a lie.

_Kyo didn't even bother to lie._

We separated without a word when Kyo had to change paths to head for the Dojo, and I made my way up onto the porch by myself, opened the front door, slid out of my shoes, dropped my school bag, and made my way to the kitchen for a glass of cold, refreshing water to calm myself down.

_I think that's the longest we've been together without fighting or kissing._

I laughed at how, until now, all we've ever done together was one or the other of the two extreme opposites, and pulled out a glass from the cupboard to put it under the running tap.

But it was all his doing, right? I didn't instigate him _that_ much… but it didn't take a lot to provoke him- at least when it came to his anger… but I had no idea what had caused all of these 'assaults' on my mouth by his.

I would appreciate knowing, so at least I could help control the situation… but when Kyo and I ever seemed to get close, 'Control' didn't seem like an easily accomplished trait. So I suppose it was good that I haven't really been around Kyo that much… but his absence also didn't help my mood _one bit._

He stopped picking fights with me, stopped talking to me altogether- he might not be avoiding me on purpose, but it still doesn't change the fact that he's never around.

If we hadn't had our verbal fight in the woods earlier on, I might've gone crazy. It just wasn't normal for me to go so long without Kyo constantly resolving to beat me- it was really starting to get to my head.

But now he's pulling all of this "forget what I said" bullshit and it's driving me even more insane…

_Seriously, what's __that__ supposed to mean, anyway?_

Did he seriously expect me to just forget about it? Stupid cat hasn't got a _clue_ about how upset he's made me through out everything he's been putting me through. What's he got to be so embarrassed about anyways? _He's_ the one making the moves- He should just own up to them, because I'm really starting to get aggravated- I've given him enough time- I've given him _more_ then enough time.

He's going to keep acting like this until I do something, isn't he?

That stubborn cat, why does he have to be like this…

I took my glass of water upstairs in purpose to work on my pile of homework- that I could only hope would keep my focus.

(Kyo's POV)

I finished with my training at the Dojo, but I didn't leave yet. I went down the hall and into the washroom, closing the door behind me, my school uniform in my hands.

Back in the woods, I didn't want to walk any further with Yuki- I don't know why, but I had to get away from him. I was not going to put myself in a situation where I would be alone in the house with Yuki _again_. I knew I was beginning to push buttons, and Yuki was going to _really_ start pressing soon- and I wouldn't know what to say, I didn't want to lie… I didn't want to see him _cry_ again-

It's a bit ridiculous when I think about it now- I feel like such a sucker at how effected I was by Yuki's tears- it was just… making him cry, it was _not_ a proud moment- and I don't ever want to do that again… I don't know why I brought it up back in the woods- I really am stupid… I was trying to protect myself by hurting him, like I did with everyone else… I felt so vulnerable when he brought up _that subject_… because i was showing him true emotions, and whenever i did, i usually would get scolded, or shunned, or... _dammit_, i usually had no problem telling him _exactly_ what was on my mind but...

_DAMMIT, WHY DOES HE HAVE TO BE SO GODDAMN SENSITIVE??_

I was relieved he had punched me instead of folding back into himself. I _want_ him to hit me when I'm being a dick, I need him to keep me in place, show me the line, let me cross it, and beat my ass whenever I did.

I reached over into the bath and turned on the water. I let it run until it felt a little colder then Luke-warm, then I shed my clothing and lowered my sweaty body into the cool water.

I couldn't help but purr, the water was so cold in contrast to my hot body- it reminded me of how Yuki felt and tasted—

Shaking Yuki out of my head, I washed off my body in the water, relaxing as I felt my tight muscles loosen in the refreshing water. After I felt like I was clean, I lifted myself out of the bath, water dripping from my body and onto the floor, and reached for a towel, which I aggressively ruffled against my wet, orange hair.

After I had got my hair to a less drenched state, I started to dry off my body before slipping back into my school uniform pants. By the time I was finished, the water was nearly freezing as I let my hand slip underneath its surface to drain the tub. I shook my hand dry and turned to the mirror.

I was a bit surprised to see the bruise on my cheekbone from where Yuki had hit me- since I had forgotten about it momentarily. I turned my face to the side as I leaned against the sink counter, to inspect it further. It was purple and went to a vomit-like yellowish green around the edges, and the skin around that was a faint red.

I frowned and lifted my fingers up to graze the skin- it felt like blood had soaked into the skin, it was delicate and was a raw kind of pain that made me want to gnash my teeth together. Then I turned my attention to my lip, remembering the coppery flavour I had tasted after he had punched me. The cut on my lip was sealed off by dried blood, and I poked my tongue out to taste it.

Now the fact that Yuki had _punched_ me seemed to over-come the reason why he had, and I watched as I glared at my reflection as if it were Yuki. _Damn Rat's probably bragging about it to Shigure right now!_

And then fury raged through me: _Then Shigure will tell that Damn Ayame, who'll tell Hatori, who'll tell-_

"Kyo?" a whining little voice said on the other side of the door.

"I'm _busy_ Momiji." I said, annoyed.

"But you've been in there so long-"

I opened the door and glared down at Momiji "I said I'm _BUSY_, stupid!"

"WAAAAAH! KYO CALLED ME STUPID!"

"Shut _up_ you damn rabbit!" I grabbed my used towel and threw it at him "you're so _damn annoying!"_

Slipping on my shirt, I stormed down the hall and to the main entrance, where I snatched up my shoes and backpack before I excited the building. I shoved on my shoes as I walked across the porch, when I had them on I jumped off the edge and was making my way through the forest.

I stormed through the woods, in a really put-out mood, even the warmth and brightness of the sun that made my surroundings glitter in its lush green state didn't help my mood- all I could see was red. If Yuki thought he could get away with punching me, he had another thing coming…

_I say that a lot…_

When I had finally reached the house, I threw down my backup, kicked off my shoes and went storming around the house in search for that damn rat. I first went over to the Dining room, but no one was there- so I made my way into the empty kitchen, I peeked into the living room and saw Shigure reading a book, but I pulled back before he could notice me. I ascended the stairs noisily, and hammered my fist on his door.

"GET OUT HERE, YOU DAMN RAT!"

I stood there and crossed my arms- getting more agitated by the minute as I got no reply.

"FINE, I'M COMING IN!" I threw back his door and slunk in with my guard up, but was greeted only by furniture and an open window that let the sun spill into his room, over his sheets.

I relaxed. _Dammit… where is he…_

I was about to turn around when I realised that this was the first time I had been in his room for a while… and my curiosity got the best of me, so I wondered in further, looking around the untidy room. His sheets were spilling off the bed and onto the floor, and pieces of clothing were strayed here and there. I tapped my foot against his desk, frowning at the pile of work he had over top of it in a disorganized mess. I sat down at the desk and examined his papers- I noticed his writing, it was elegant and looked like it had just flowed onto the paper. I wrinkled my nose- did everything about him have to be elegant?

I shoved myself up from the desk and looked around again. I made my way over to his closet and opened it up- and found his uniforms thrown absently on a shelf. I braced each hand on either side of the doorway and leaned in to snort at how he wasn't as tidy as I would have thought he would be.

Until a familiar smell made its way to me… and I felt myself go light-headed… I hadn't noticed that I was unconsciously leaning forward into the scent until my foot flew out onto the floor in front of me to keep myself from falling. I jerked backwards, withdrawing from the closest and closing it shut. I rolled my eyes at myself and went over to sit on his bed. I put my elbows on my knees and pressed the heels of my hands into my closed eyes.

_Damn rat running off- he might as well have bitch-slapped me._

I threw my body back onto his bed—and was in complete heaven. His sheets were so soft and comfy, I actually nuzzled into them, turning onto my side and curling into a ball like a cat. Then suddenly the same smell I had sniffed in the closet came back- but a hundred times more powerful.

Its subtle sweetness was heavenly, but somehow still a tad bit boy-ish… it was delicious and luxurious as it fogged itself into my head. I nuzzled my face into the sheets and purred, completely content as I felt the soft warmth of the sun beating down on me from the window.

Suddenly- I heard footsteps start to creak up the stairs and I snapped back to reality, throwing myself off the bed and out of the room, closing the door behind me just in time as Shigure reached the top step and saw me.

"Why… Hello Kyo, and what were you doing in Yuki's room?"

"Nothing" I answered all-too quickly. "I was looking for him."

Shigure raised his eyebrows- and then I saw his eyes rest on the bruise on my cheekbone.

"Ah. Lost again, did you."

"I DID _NOT_ LOSE! HE ATTACKED ME!" I defended myself. "AND IT'S _NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS_ ANYWAYS!"

I stormed over to my room and slammed the door shut.

I stood there for a moment… then as my breathing calmed I turned around and peeked out of my door at Shigure who was still waiting expectantly in the hall and hadn't moved an inch. "Um… so where is he?"

"Grocery shopping with Tohru."

--

(Yuki's POV)

It had been two days since Kyo and I had walked home together, and like the new usual, I haven't seen him since.

_Honestly, all that visiting to the Dojo is really going to get to his head._

I was sitting at the dining table enjoying my dinner with Shigure and Tohru. The dog was talking to her with an enthusiastic voice-, which probably meant that it was something inappropriate, so I tried to pay attention to see what it was.

"And then, in the romantic atmosphere of the hot springs, he showed her what _passion_ truly was by-"

"Shigure, please." I said, my voice insistent as I lifted my chopsticks (**AN- **I hate chopsticks, cant use them for the life of me) to my mouth.

"But Tohru is really interested, aren't you?" Shigure leaned forward to her, who looked completely oblivious of why I was getting defensive.

"Leave her alone, Shigure."

There was a moment of silence that was filled in by Shigure's mumbling.

"OH!"

Tohru and I jumped in shock of Shigure's sudden outburst, "Oh, _no_, Tohru, have you forgotten to feed the kitty?"  
"k-k-kitty?"

"Kyo-Kun, of course!" Shigure sounded earnest. Tohru looked panicked.

"H-He's here?"  
"Yes, Tohru, don't tell me you have forgotten about Kyo!!"

"I- I knocked on his door and he didn't answer I thought- OH NO! I'll get his supper right away!!" She bounded up and went into the kitchen to grab Kyo some dinner, arms flaring like a mad woman.

The moment she was out of earshot, Shigure looked over to smile at me.

"Kyo's at the Dojo, Shigure." It didn't do any good to tell him, because from the look on his face, he already knew.

"I have acquired some… certain information you might want to be informed about."

I lifted an eyebrow at his theatrical behaviour. After Shigure didn't continue, I replied-

"Whatever it is, Shigure, I don't think I'd be all too interested in it anyway."

"It's about Kyo."  
My fingers froze and my chopsticks slipped through them and clattered onto the place. I felt embarrassed at my un-subtle reaction, and picked them up again, trying to brush it off.

"I don't think there's anything I would be interested in that involves that immature cat, Shigure."

"Oh? Well, all right then. Suit yourself."

There was a long pause- where I deliberated against giving in to Shigure, or staying quiet.

I decided to clear my throat, and in a casual, almost absent-minded voice, as I lifted my glass to my mouth "What did the Cat do this time?"

"He was in your room."  
I spewed my drink all over my face and lap just as Tohru came back in.

"He wasn't there, Shigure-- Yuki-san!!" Tohru grabbed a few napkins resting at her side of the table and ran over to me with them, I took them from her and wiped my face-

"I'm sorry, Miss Honda, I haven't been my usual alert self lately."

"No, no, don't apologize- are you alright? Do you want me to get you some more?"

"No thank you, please, Honda-San, sit back down."

She nodded and went back to sitting at her side.

I glanced over to Shigure and saw his eyes scrutinizing my reaction-

Tohru talked to me about her day the rest of the meal, and when everyone was finished I helped Tohru clean the dishes. We were having a conversation about school when she changed the topic-

"Do you know where Kyo is?"

"Probably at the Dojo. Don't worry too much about him Honda-San, Kyo can take care of himself." I tried to reassure her. She carried on with a conversation that involved the subject of Arisa, but I found that I couldn't take my mind off of what Shigure had said to me... and during the last few dishes that I helped Tohru wash, I had come to a decision.

I dried off my hands, "Miss Honda, I will be out late tonight, so don't keep yourself up waiting for my return."

She looked up at me, puzzled, but nodded anyhow. I gave her a small smile "I just need a walk."

I exited the kitchen and made my way to the front door and slipped my shoes onto my feet, aware of Shigure standing behind me.

"Am I going to be missing something dramatic if I stay here?"

"You'll be missing a limb if you don't." and with that I opened the door and shut it in his face.

I would _not_ have Shigure interrupt the next hour.

I smoothly twisted and curled with the path as I headed, for the first time in a strangely long while, to the Dojo.

**-End-**

**AN-** kaaah! Yuki is _-pissed- ... _i would be swinging axes if anyone went into my room. what did you think? PLEASE **!REVIEW!** I would really appreciate hearing what you all think of this, so pleaseplease do.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

**AN-** hmmkay i wasnt gonna update today cuz I've been so riddiculously buisy- but then i checked the reviews, and didn't realise how much of a cliff-hanger that actually was... so i had to get this up before anyone started to anticipate this really awesome epic chapter... I'm so very sorry if you dont like it, but please enjoy!! I personaly liked it- see what you think! fruits baskets is not mine

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

(Kyo's POV)

I saw Haru kick up a leg in my direction at blurring speed, but I blocked it with ease and sent a fist flying in the air- I felt it collide against Haru's jaw seconds before he was off his feet and soaring to the ground, his body twisting in the air and landing on his stomach. I heard him give off a sigh on the ground and push himself up on his forearms. "Hmmm… perhaps I _am_ losing my touch."

I watched as Haru pushed himself up like he had merely tripped, but I kept myself in a fight-stance.

"Quite stalling, and give me something to work with, here!" I watched as he dusted off his uniform and look at me.

"I have reached my day's skill level. I find myself to be exhausted." Haru said- although his breathing was perfectly normal and he hadn't broken a sweat. "You begin to excel where I struggle, Kyo. You have become an opponent I must find resolve to beat." And with that, he walked off the matt and out of the room, while I let my arms dangle and I raised an eyebrow at him- my mouth hanging open slightly.

…_Why's he so weird…_

I, however, did not find myself to be anywhere _near_ exhausted, although I've been here since school had ended… so I kept on practicing on my own- it wasn't as effective as battling against a partner, but I doubted anyone was here except for Haru- all the elders had gone out for dinner.

I, however, did not _need_ dinner, like all those weaklings.

I pushed myself far, keeping up my momentum and speed, refusing to let down until I had to heave for breath- and even when I had begun to reach that state, I kept pushing myself. I could feel the sweat beginning to gloss over my body- and I decided to give myself a break.

I wandered into the middle of the mat, placed a hand on my hip, and ran the other one through my hair. I caught my breath easily- but just as I was about to go back to my self-training, I caught something move from the corner of my eye, and looked over to see Yuki standing at the doorway.

(Yuki's POV)

I finally made it up the steps to the Dojo- and just as I was approaching the door, a freshly bathed Haru came out. I hadn't seen him in a while- his features had gotten more mature, but his hair had stayed the same. Haru acknowledged my presence by putting two fingers up to his temple and flipping them away.

"Haru, is Kyo in there?"

He sighed, "Yes he is. Are you thinking of challenging him? He's been getting better."

I took that into consideration, but didn't answer. I walked past him and over the threshold, slipping my feet out of my shoes when I got inside. I made my way down the hall and past the washroom where I felt the heat from Haru's bath drag past me subtly.

I got to the match room, slid the door open, and stopped at the threshold.

Kyo was beating the _shit_ out of that punching bag.

His fists were more coordinated then when he was fighting against me, and his timing was astonishingly precise- and the impact his punches and kicks seemed to have against the bag (that was now looking very lumpy and abused) made me feel very lucky that I was able to block every one of his blows.

Now that I think about, I've never really seen Kyo in a fight- at least not when I was disorientated and having an asthma attack. I now regretted not coming sooner to see him fight against Haru.

His body moved in fluid but violent motions, and I'll admit- Kyo was very impressive, this definitely had taken me off-guard… he looked like he felt complete in his skin. I had never seen him so passionate before.

Finishing off with a few more solid punches, Kyo stepped back and away from the bag-, which was good because it looked like if that thing got hit one more time it would disintegrate.

He wandered into the middle of the room, his chest rising and falling in a patterned motion, and I watched him as he placed a hand on his hip and run the other through his vibrant orange hair.

I felt my eyes narrow as I pulled myself out of my trance and remembered why I was here. I shifted my weight to the other leg, the movement successfully catching Kyo's eyes, and he turned slightly to face me with his eyes.

First they were full of shock, then anticipation, then fury, "What are you doing here, Rat?" He snapped at me.

I slowly narrowed my eyes at him, "I'm sorry, I didn't realise this place _belonged_ to you, Cat." I rested my hand onto my hip, "Now, if I was in, lets say, _your room_, that would be different."

I glared at him accusingly, and the shocked expression on his face turned to fury as he growled "_damn dog"_ through clenched teeth before looking back up at me "I WAS _NOT_ IN YOUR ROOM!"

"That's not what the 'damn dog' thinks, apparently."

And I saw that _Dammit- he's playing with me-_ look of his on his face and would've been amused if it weren't for the offended feeling I had at the fact that he had gone into my room when I was away.

I decided to advance toward him- and I saw his body immediately tense. His eyes suddenly stared daggers as his fists clenched, his knuckles turning white.

"What have _you_ got to be all angry about? _I'm_ the one who got they're personal space _invaded_." I said, getting even more irritated due to his self-indulgence.

"You punched me."

His voice was accusing, and venomous- and the topic completely came out of nowhere.

I sighed, rolled my eyes along with my head, and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Please don't tell me you _just_ figured that out." Honestly, it had been _two days_.

Kyo seemed to actually _puff up_ in rage. "OF COURSE I DIDN'T, YOU STUPID RAT!"

"You deserved it." My guard was up, and my eyes were cold and hard like my voice.

His eye twitched, but it looked like he knew he couldn't argue that… which was actually an odd sign, coming from him…

"Doesn't mean I'll let you get away with it-!"

ah, there we go. at least I could still predict some part of him.

"Oh? And how are you planning on getting me back, Cat? You couldn't hit me even if your life depended on it. It's not my fault you have slow reflexes."

"DON'T GET SO DAMN BIG-HEADED, RAT, I COULD HIT YOU IF I WANTED TO!"

"Then come on and give it a go, you ridiculously inadequate cat."

Kyo lunged at me with determination glowing in his eyes, but I wasn't in the mood to play his stupid games. The moment I blocked Kyo's first shot, my fist had collided on the untouched side of his face- Kyo lurched to the side from the impact and whipped his head around at me in surprise-

I usually dodged his shots for a while before I would attack.

But today I wasn't doing this to amuse him.

Soon Kyo was throwing his fists at me again, and at each opening he foolishly left for me, I would hit him without missing. He threw a left hook shot at my face, but I avoided it easily and fisted his face in the same place I had in the woods- and Kyo fell to the ground, his hand at his cheekbone.

"Why were you in my room, cat?"

He growled, "I was looking for you, that's _it_!"

"Well, _Here I am, Cat._" I extended my arms to each side and lengthened my elegant figure, "What do you want that's _so_ important?"  
"I WANT TO POUND THAT PRETTY FACE OF YOURS INTO A _PULP!_" And he was up again, throwing all his effort into trying to collide some part of his body against mine.

"What gives _you_ the right to be pissed-off? _You_ deserved it!" His immaturity was seriously aggravating me. "_You_ went into _my_ room, you dumb cat!" I threw a fist against his diaphragm- he stumbled back and onto the floor for breath-

Then he glared up at me, "I was only looking for you cuz you expected me to just take your hit!"

"And I only hit you because you were being an over-reacting _dick_."

I waited for Kyo to justify _that_- but he clenched his teeth, refusing to talk, and narrowed his eyes even more at me. I bent down on the balls of my feet, putting myself to his eye-level.

"Go on, I'm waiting. Its your turn."

Kyo bared his teeth and shoved at my shoulders- making me stumble back one-step, back up on my feet as he jumped up too.

"_Why the Hell are you here?"_ Kyo hissed.

"Because you wont tell me what the hell's going on." I stared unwavering into his eyes- they weren't sparkling with anger anymore, but with defensiveness.

"_Nothing's_going on, _got it?"  
_I shoved my hand over his mouth- awarded by a shocked look on his face.

"Let's get one thing straight, _Cat_." I began to push him backwards with the hand I had tightly over his mouth, "If you are going to lie to me, at least _put an effort into it._" I kept on going, Kyo starting to stumble- but I only increased my pace "Because the pathetic excuses you're coming up with are _insulting_." When I said the last word, I had shoved him up against the wall with dominating force.

I saw fear flash across his face when he hit the wall and felt him exhale sharply into my palm- the feeling shivering through my skin and up my forearm.

"_Do I make myself clear?"_

I watched as Kyo's hair started to frizz up and-

A searing pain rushed through my palm and shot up my arm as I felt Kyo's sharp teeth sink viciously into the palm of my hand- I winced slightly at it- but didn't pull away, even when I felt warm blood trickle down the heel of my hand and across my wrist as his teeth dug deeper into my skin.

Kyo kept his eyes locked onto mine, they were on fire with danger- not rage, but threat. With a stinging sensation, he sank his fangs deeper into my skin…

I felt his teeth remove themselves from the indents they made in my skin, and felt his wet tongue run along the blood that was oozing out. He held my eyes, a dangerous look in them as I felt mine going hazy and I let a soft shaky breath escape the small part of my lips at the feeling of his hot tongue against my small wounds.

I felt him sliding his fingertips up the side of my wrist and coiled themselves around mine, trapping my fingers, as he bended them backwards- releasing the grip I had over his mouth and exposing my pale white wrist in front of his mouth.

He placed his parted lips on my exposed flesh and I felt my hand quiver at the feeling of his warm breath ghosting over my skin. Then he pulled his lips back over his cat-like fangs and dug them slowly into my wrist. There was no doubt that there was pain when he broke through the skin- but the adrenaline had over-come the insignificant want to pull away.

I watched, entranced, as the danger danced inside his red eyes. His teeth let go when I felt fresh blood trail it's way crookedly down my wrist, and he dragged his tongue along the line of dripping blood. When he licked at my wound, it stung at the touch, but sooner then I would have wanted he lowered my wrist from his mouth.

"There." His voice was barely a whisper. "Now we're even."

Before I could register what was happening, he had slid past me and I could hear his footsteps as he made his way out of the Dojo- leaving me to brace my un-assaulted hand against the wall to keep me from falling.

**-End-**

**AN-** I know nothing really changed between them too much in this chappie, I'm sorry if it wasn't as epic as you expected, unless epic in your books consists of a sweaty, ass-kicked Kyo, and a pissed-off hand-bitten Yuki. the epic-ness comes later on,-please- puhleesh **!Review!** i want to hear what you think of it. thank you for sticking with me this far, _hang in there!_


	17. Chapter 17

**AN-** (Fruits Baskets is not mine) enjoy!!

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

(Kyo's POV)

This was the first night I have had dinner in the same room with Yuki for quite some time, and in some ways it was awkward, but after seeing the bandage that Yuki now had on his wrist and over his hand since last night, I couldn't help but feel a bit victorious and dominant for once around him. But I was the only one who saw me as victorious, because Yuki had used the excuse that he had tripped on the supposed 'walk' that he had taken, and had patched up my bite by himself.

_Which_ had _me_ saying that the bruises on my body were from that damn _ox!_ _Damn them both._

It was awkward because Shigure and Tohru were there- and I felt like Yuki and I had been living in a world where none of them existed every time we were in the same room, so it was just _weird_ to have these emotions start to overcome me when they were around… the feeling, the urge to reach across the table, grab a fistful of that silky silver hair and have him look at me with those startled, unmasked eyes that I am so entranced with-

But that probably wouldn't be the best dinner table etiquette.

At the moment, he was that collected, and seemingly serene Yuki that I had felt absolutely nothing for except deep loathing and hatred to his emotionless self. But I was some-what grateful that he was like that, because if he was that care-free and real Yuki right now with Tohru and Shigure as witnesses- I don't know if I would be able to resist that awakening urge that was bubbling to a very dangerous level of over-powerment already.

And even though I knew that he wouldn't show that part of him right now, I kept my concentration on my food- and it proved to make it easier for me to resist.

Like always, Shigure was babbling on about something, and I decided to listen to him to clear the thoughts from my head- and it had worked, after I heard what he was saying, I had completely forgot about Yuki's presence:

"Ayame has been planning on making you an outfit lately, since Yuki doesn't want to wear the one he's been working on, and it is looking _wonderful_ in my dear friend's care! He told me all about, it will look so cute on you, Tohru, and you'll _really_ look like my housewife-"

"SHE IS _NOT_ YOUR HOUSE-WIFE, STOP CALLING HER THAT, YOU SICK PERV!"

"Oooh! Kyo, don't be so upset! Ayame's planning on making you an outfit, too, don't complain!"

I felt my hair go static, my face scrunch up in sheer horror and disgust, and I was about to reply when- I heard a muffled sound, like a reluctant laugh sneaking out, and looked across the table to see Yuki with his hand over his mouth, staring at the table- and then in a second, his eyes glanced up at mine, no doubt trying to see if I had heard-

I saw a blush creep over his cheeks and contrast with his pale hand that was trying to hide it, I saw his eyes, a small laugh glinting in them, and I felt my heart skip a beat-

Apparently Shigure hadn't notice the electrical rush that had connected Yuki and me through the air.

"It will look lovely on you, really, Kyo, I am most anxious to see you in i-"

I looked away quickly from Yuki, and pushed myself up from the dinner table and stormed my way out of the dining room, slamming the door behind me. I didn't stop walking until I was lifting my body up onto the roof. I walked to the middle and slunk my body down. I took a few breaths.

_Dammit._

Whenever he got like that, whenever he showed even a bit of happiness that came from somewhere inside that wasn't forced… he looked so real, it was like he was _glowing_… and it would ignite this distressing, horribly complicated feeling inside of me.

_Dammit, Dammit, DAMMIT! Why's this happening?_

I sighed and let my back fall onto the roof. I stretched, arching my back up and twisted my spine.

Why did he have to have that kind of impact on me?  
Why did he have to be different, why did he have to be… so different.

Why does he make me feel this way…

_I hate it._

--

(Yuki's POV)

I felt the soap squish through my fingers as I helped Tohru wash the dinner plates. I tried to concentrate on cleaning the kitchenware, but it kept on slipping to what had happened in the other room…

I didn't mean to laugh, I tried to hold it back, but it just came out at the look on Kyo's face and the thought of him wearing one of Ayame's costumes. I had peeped up to see if he had heard me and saw him looking at me with a surprised look on his face- like he was staring at something stunning, like the sun after months of rain… I felt a massive blush burn at my cheeks under his awed gaze- and before I knew it, he had looked away and was storming out of the room.

My bandaged hand was holding the plate above the soapy water, but because of my lack of concentration, I had accidentally gotten the soapy water inside the dressing after I had lowered the plate too far into the water.

"Owe," I said it more like a simple realization, jerking my hand back and hearing the faint thud of the plate hitting the bottom of the sink.  
"Yuki? Oh no, your hand, did you hurt it?" Tohru piped in- I looked over to her.

"No, it's alright… I just got it a bit wet, it's alright-"

"No, Yuki, you'll get it infected! You must change it now,"

"I'm not going to leave you here to do the dishes on your own," I said it gently, and made to reach into the soapy water for the plate, but a hand enclosed around it,

"Yuki, don't be such a drama-princess, go get Kyo to finish it up with Tohru."

At the sound of Kyo's name, my eyes widened, but I quickly composed myself, "I'm not going to get him, that Cat is anything but help, he'll probably end up breaking the plates with his unruly temper- anyways, why don't _you_ help her, you're not up on the roof fuming, are you?"

"Yuki, I am _surprised! _You know that I am swamped in work! I must finish up my book or we wont have a house to live in! But... I suppose if Tohru wants to separate me from doing my job, then-"  
"Oh no no! Please don't! Yuki, I'll finish it by myself, I'll be fine!"

I looked at Tohru and her pleading face... then heaved a sigh.

"I'll get him."

I made my way up the stairs reluctantly, a blush already overcoming my face at the thought of encountering the Cat after the moment we had shared just a short while ago. I tapped on his door, and after a few seconds of no reply, I slid it open. The room was empty- and impressively messy. I would have to go up to the roof where he would no doubt be, away from everyone else…

I got myself up onto the roof and my suspicions where granted correct as I saw Kyo lying on his back.

I sighed, took a last second to compose myself, and approached him.

"Kyo-"

His head snapped in my direction, and he jolted up, shocked by my sudden appearance. _He must've really been deep in thought._

I looked away quickly; out to the sun that was quickly making its way to the end of the horizon, "Tohru needs you downstairs."

A few seconds went by without a response from Kyo, and I looked over to see him looking at me with curiosity.

I had to put in an effort to keep myself composed under his intense gaze; "I think she'd appreciate it if you wouldn't stall."

He sighed, lifting himself up, and made his way past me and off the roof without a word.

I let out a relieved breath that I had been holding, and walked over to where he had been lying and sat down.

I curled my knees up to my chin, thinking about nothing in particular- just feeling the emotions that were running through me. I rested myself down against the roof and soon I had closed my eyes.  
The cool warmth of the evening breeze eneveloped me, and before I knew it I was lost in sleep…

A shadow blocked the light that had been shining lightly through my eyelids, and I opened them to see a figure standing a few inches away, facing away from me and to the setting sun.

Kyo's vibrant orange hair was framed by the flush red of the sun- and I took a moment to take in his figure in front of the crimson glow.

He must've heard me rustle as I moved on the roof, because he had turned his body halfway so he could twist his neck around to look at me, His hands on his waist.

He was lean, but toned- a very desirable trait. His face was distinctly boyish and outlined by the red glow of the setting sun as he looked at me.

"Have a good sleep, Princess?"

I felt my eyes narrow slightly- and I bent my leg up into the air and kicked him in the shin.

"Gah!" Kyo lost balance and his chest landed on my lap, his face thunking on the roof beside my hip.

I rolled my eyes, my elbows keeping me up, and grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head back so I could glare into his eyes that were full of outrage.

"You didn't rape me, did you?"

Taken aback, it took a moment for the shock to leave his face to be replaced by fury- "Wh-WHAT? NO! WHY THE HELL WOULD I DO THAT, DON'T BE DISGUSTING!"

I let a small laugh vibrate in my chest at the expression on his face, "That's a good cat,"

A blush formed on his cheeks as he looked at me defensively- and I felt a smile of amusement tug at the corners of my mouth. Kyo's expression changed to something I couldn't identify…

Before I could register it, Kyo had pushed himself up with his hands and was bringing his face closer to mine, his orange hair, that my hand still had in a light grasp, glowing from the deep red light behind him…

Before I could stop him, or even decide whether I wanted to or not, I felt his warm breath against my lips a second before…

My heart stopped for a beat when his warm lips rolled softly against mine, and his musky scent filled my head, and I lost all train of thought as he repeated the motion, sending electric waves through every fibre in my body.

When he captured my bottom lip in between his, I had responded automatically by capturing his upper lip with mine. The feeling was stimulating and I felt every part of my body become hyper-aware to his. His lips were so warm and wet as they released mine just to capture them once again. He was being so gentle, it was such a surprising thrill to feel him be so out of character with me. I felt his body lean up to press against mine, but the motion had me lowering myself to rest my back on the roof once more, and he rested his comforting weight on me, his warm body against mine.

He pulled back enough to allow me to breath, and then he had his mouth back on top of mine- his lips more wet then last time from being licked. I shuddered as the heat from his body radiated through my skin, and I responded to it by closing my lips over his bottom one. As I did, he exhaled into my mouth and I could taste his breath- it was like smelling fresh air, he was like a forest on a summer day- warm and musky, masculine and alluring...

I felt the hand I had in his hair curl and grasp it more firmly as our lips moved more enthusiastically against each other. And when I felt his hot, wet tongue slid over my already moist lips, I exhaled inside his mouth and I felt his hand grab my unoccupied hand and pinned it down when-

"Ah-" I jerked back from his captivating mouth as I felt a sharp sudden sting from where his hand had mine, he jerked back as well.

We both stared at each other for a few seconds, both of us calming down our breaths and searching the other's eyes. Then Kyo looked away and down at the hand he had pinned- my bandaged hand, while I watched his expression.

I felt him run his thumb against my wrapped palm, and I could tell that he felt its dampness. Then he looked back at me critically.

"You didn't change it, did you?" He said accusingly, and I felt warmth in my cheeks. Tohru must have told him about why I had to get him to help her.

"It's kinda difficult to do on your own," I said defensively, remembering when I had attempted to bandage it myself.

Kyo rolled his eyes, "Stupid rat." He let go of my hand and grabbed a fistful of my collar, and pulled me up with him, "C'mon," He let go and jumped off the roof to the platform, I followed him until he turned to me and grabbed at the clothing on my shoulder and pushed me down onto the toilet seat.

Kyo opened the mirror cabinet and pulled out polysporin and a q-tip, then stood in front of me, my knee in between his legs, and he took my bandaged hand. His warm fingertips brushed against my skin as he started to unravel my gauze.

After doing so, he throw it into the waste basket and turned on the water, and he pulled my arm under the sink- and as the hot water ran over my red-rimmed wounds, I let out something like a squeak and pulled my arm out of his grip.

"Don't be such a baby, we need to clean it."

Trying not to pay too much attention to how he said 'we', I glared up at him, "The water hurts, I don't need it, it's fine."

Kyo rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh before turning off the tap and kneeling in between my thighs- as he did so, I felt my pulse suddenly quicken, then he gently took my wrist in his hand, palm up, and pulled it towards him. Without looking at me, he brought my palm to his mouth and I saw his tongue come out of his parted lips and drag across my wounds. I felt my breath hitch at the feeling of his wet and firm, yet gentle tongue as it began to lap at my wounds like a kitten with milk.

He was cleaning my wounds with his tongue.

My fingers started to tremble at the feeling that sent electricity up my arm and into my heart, causing it to thump faster.

My open wound stung sharply as he ran his tongue over it, but my skin grew warm under the touch, and I felt my whole body begin to heat up uncomfortably as I watched his tongue drag across my skin. My breath began to come unsteady as I felt myself go light-headed-

_Is that what his tongue was doing to my mouth?_

It looked so sensual, felt so stimulating- I began to wonder how his tongue would feel on other parts of my skin…

My skin grew cold from where Kyo had been licking, and I suddenly realised that he had pulled away- and was looking up at me. I felt my cheeks burn and thought they were really on fire, and I saw a reluctant, amused grin tug at the corners of his mouth- he looked very self-satisfied, and I felt myself become defensive, and my eyes narrow as my cheeks kept growing hot.

Kyo looked away and reached over to the sink counter to grab the polysporin, which he put on the q-tip. He took my wrist back into his grasp but he was so gentle it was more like he was allowing my wrist to rest in his palm- and he ran the q-tip along the wounds.

My hand flinched, but I didn't react in any other way. I kept my eyes focused on how the cotton smeared a Vaseline-like substance over my wounds that were flaming red around the edges. My cheeks had gone down to a normal temperature and I could only hope that it meant my blush had gone away, and then Kyo removed the q-tip from my skin and threw it into the wastebasket. He stood up and opened the mirror cabinet, but didn't seem to find what he was looking for.

"Alright, where's the damn bandages?"

"Oh," I finally remembered that I hadn't moved them back from where I had used them last.

I didn't look up at Kyo when I answered, "They're in my room."

There was a very short, but very thick pause before Kyo grabbed the collar of my shirt again and hauled me out of the washroom,

His roughness agitated me, "Do you _mind_?"

Kyo twisted his head around, still dragging me forward, "What?"

"_I_ like to keep my clothes in wearable condition, if you don't mind," I grabbed at his hand and tugged at it, but he just turned away, letting out an annoyed noise and held it tighter.

"Stop being such a pretty-boy,"

"I'm _not_ a pretty boy, _you're_ just an unnaturally unhygienic person."

"Says the rat that dunks his injury in soapy water!" Kyo threw open my door and was at my bed in three strides, hauling me behind him, and he pulled me around his body and pushed my down on the bed.

Kyo looked around for a few seconds, then spotted the item on my desk, grabbed it without even trying to hide his annoyance, then came over to kneel before me once again.

"You don't have to kneel in front of me like you're _proposing_ or something," I said, out of spite more then anything.

He glared up at me and grabbed none-too-gently at my arm. He placed the beginning of the cloth halfway down my forearm and held it there with his fingers as he began to wrap the bandage over and under my arm repetitively.

I kept silent, watching his hands work so nimbly and efficiently, mesmerized.

He had grown concentrated and was treating my arm with care. I looked at his face; the focus in his eyes was very alike to the same focus I saw in his body when he was practicing his martial arts in the Dojo by himself, unknowing of my presence.

He began to wrap the cloth around my palm; he did it vigilantly and purposefully. I hadn't seen his expression so focused, so concentrated before and I couldn't tare my eyes away from him…

He finished by tucking the claw-like piece into the cloth to keep it from unravelling, but he still held my wrist in his hand, no doubt admiring his handy-work.

I couldn't deny, I was admiring it too, it was so professional- it was much better then my last one…

"You're really good at this."

Kyo, still not looking up at me, looked apprehensive, "I've had to bandage up my own wounds, and I've had _a lot_, so I guess I'm just practiced, that's all."

I watched as he looked at my arm as if he was thinking about something, his brow furrowed… I watched as he ran his thumb over the part of bandage hiding the wound on my palm absent-mindedly.

"Hm."

Then Kyo was up and moving away from me-- _moving away from me—_

"Wai-" I grabbed at his hand before he could get any further and he turned around, looking at me with curiosity.

I suddenly froze under his gaze.

_What am I doing-_

"Hey." He cut through my nervous thoughts, "I put effort into that." He used his other hand to gently pull my grasp off his wrist, "Don't go dumping it into soapy water again, got it?"

And with that, Kyo turned from me and left my room.

Leaving me and my pampered hand behind.

**AN-** I hope everyone liked this chapter. I wanted to bring out the softer side of Kyo in this... i hope i didn't over do it. Anywho, there you have it... and I will be putting up Chapter Seventeen soon...  
But dammit, I'm trying to keep myself at posting a minimum of two chapters a day... if i keep this up I'm gonna seriously hit such a built-up writer's block X.X  
I've never been a victim to Karma's bitchiness, and I really hope I'm not instigating too much...  
PLEASE **!REVIEW!**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN**- HELLO!! chapter _eighteen_ gaaah i cant believe I've written this much... and how long has this story been posted, anyways? Apparently I still feel pretty free from the writer's block, which is good stuff good stuff. Man, I can't stop thinking about this story- I even try to write in my head when I'm _dreaming_... maybe i'm being a bit too obsessed...  
discalimer: Fruits Baskets is not mine. which is why I'm obsessing over this, actually...  
And to all of you lovely reviewers, I love whatever you have to say, thank you _so_ much fer reviewing!

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

(Yuki's POV)

Over the next few days, Kyo and I didn't ignore each other to the extent we had before, but we still didn't seem to acknowledge the other's presence whenever we were in the same room.

But even though we had stopped avoiding being in the same room, we rarely were. I guess we weren't avoiding each other now, but that we were unconsciously trying to avoid another… situation to arise between us in the presence of others…. Or maybe the presence of others wasn't really the part of the reason.

I was scared of what I was feeling towards him now, it was getting stronger… the more I see in him, the more he shows me of himself, the more I am entranced by him…

I wasn't supposed to feel this way, but I was.

I haven't been able to get a lot of sleep lately… actually; I've barely gotten any at all. Through the past days I've been pushing him out of my mind so I could concentrate on my work, and try to get on with my life… I think I might have been trying to act like nothing's been going on between us, like I didn't feel all those confusing emotions. But at night, when there is nothing to distract me, I cant keep the memories and thoughts back and they all over come me, banishing me from a decent night's sleep. I usually end up trying to do more homework, but I never am able to focus on that either.

So now I have been going without sleep for a few days, and I'm definitely beginning to feel the side effects. My eyes feel so sore and heavy, and the energy in my body feels like it has been drained away.

Even as I sit in the classroom now, the teacher's voice seemed to actually be _droning_.

It was like someone put me into some foggy slow-motion scene.

_This is only my third class- how am I going to get through the day?_

The bell was so faint and dull in my head that I wouldn't have registered it if I didn't notice all the people around me leaving the room. I pushed my nearly limp body out of my seat and tried to make my way out of the door, I had to grab at the edge of desks on the way to keep myself from falling over whenever I got light-headed.

_Okay, that's it… I'm going home._

I struggled to get myself out of the school without falling and bumping into anyone, especially a girl, but I leaned my weight against the entrance door and felt a gust of wind clear my head as I tried to maintain my dignity as I made my way out of the school.

I got quite a while away until I started to hear footsteps of someone running a fair distance away…

"Rat!"

I didn't bother turning around, I didn't have enough energy for that- but I didn't have to because Kyo was already in step with me… it wasn't that hard, I suppose, I was basically sleep-walking right now.

"Hey- since when did _you_ skip class?"

"I don't feel well." I managed to get out, trying my best to not look so weak in front of that cat.

"Tsh, that's the best you can come up with?"

"Yes, I decided to be original." I tried to come off annoyed and sarcastic, but my voice came out weak.

Beneath me I saw a path begin to form and I assumed that we were in the shelter of the trees.

"So, what, did you just stick too many poles up your ass, or something?"

I whipped my head around to him, "no, you stupid cat!"

"Way to prove me wrong." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, as he slid his hands into his pant pockets.

"I haven't slept for days, Kyo, I'm not in the mood, alright?" my voice wasn't aggravated, but exasperated. I turned away from him.

I concentrated on walking, which was apparently pretty difficult right now. I hadn't noticed that there was a break of silence until Kyo spoke up,

"Why?"

I looked over to him, "What?"

He looked at me curiously, "Why haven't you been able to sleep?"

"… I…" I was captured under his gaze… then all of a sudden the whole world began to spin and I braced myself against a tree that was conveniently right beside me.

"Hey—hey what's wrong with you?" Kyo's voice wavered in and out of volume, and it was making me even dizzier. I put a hand to my head and pushed myself off the tree, refusing to let myself collapse near him.

I staggered forward a bit, not feeling very confident in myself-

"Could you quit being so weird? You're creeping me out!"

I was about to open my mouth to tell him to shut up when suddenly I felt my knees buckle and I hit the ground before I even knew I was falling.

--

(Kyo's POV)

"I haven't slept for days, Kyo, I'm not in the mood, alright?"

He honestly sounded worn out, and he turned away from me.

_He hasn't been able to sleep?_

I looked at him, taking in his exhausted appearance that made _me_ feel like I was going to collapse. His face was paler then usual, and the skin rimming around his eyes were a shade of purple. He looked like he was concentrating on just walking…

"Why?" I suddenly asked.

Yuki turned to me, confused by my outburst, "What?"

He looked really awful; it was unnerving, what could have made him so sleep-deprived?

"Why haven't you been able to sleep?"

Yuki looked at me like he was trying to concentrate on answering, "…I…"

Then all of a sudden he just went weird like he was going to pass out, and leaned against a near by tree- I reached out uncertainly, feeling myself get overly nervous-

_Maybe this is more serious then I thought_

"Hey-hey what's wrong with you?" My voice was concerned and a bit unsure of his health, but he just put a hand to his head and pushed himself away from the tree, staggering forward.

"Could you quit being so weird? You're creeping me out!" I was seriously going to get overwhelmed by him, what does he think he's doing?

Then all of a sudden Yuki collapsed onto the ground.

I stopped.

His body was completely limp… he wasn't even _twitching_…

_Did he just…did he just pass out?_

"Yuki?" I said uncertainly, I took one step forward, then another, "Yuki, you alright?"

He still wasn't moving.

_holy shi-_

I ran the rest of the way to his side and dropped to my knees, my hands reaching uncertainly to him, trying to decide whether or not to touch him, afraid he'd break underneath my touch, "Yuki? Yuki! Dammit, what the hell's wrong with you?" I shook his shoulder gently, feeling his body limply move underneath my contact- but I was rewarded by a small moan, then the flutter of his eyelids. He looked around with glossy eyes before trying to lift himself up.

I grabbed onto his elbow to help him up, and then looped it around my neck and placed my other arm around his small fragile waist, supporting his weight. "Don't do that again! I mean it, what are you trying to pull here?"

"So…tired…" His voice was barely a whisper and his lips hardly moved when he said it.

"C'mon, it's not that far home, alright?" I started to help him move forward, and he was going along all right for the first few steps, so I was starting to feel less concerned about him then I was a few seconds ago.

"God, you really know how to dramatize things, don't you?" I ranted as I tightened my arm around his waist, glorifying in the feeling- it was odd, but I felt… important. _I could definitely get used to this…_

_Wait, what was that?_

_Don't think like that, this is Yuki…._

But just as I thought he was getting the hang of it, his legs went limp again and he nearly pulled me to the ground, as I was the only thing keeping him up.

"Dammit, Yuki!" I grunted… then I brought the arm that wasn't wrapped around his waist to the underside of his knees and swept him off his feet (**An**-… PAHAHAHH!) and to my chest.

"How many times have I done this for you?" I growled in frustration as I tried to find my balance under Yuki's weight. I pulled him tighter to my chest, cradling him with his face resting on my chest in between my shoulder and neck. His hands loosely grasped at my uniform shirt and he nuzzled his face into my chest- and I felt a spark erupt inside me.

"Don't get cute with me, I'm still mad at you."

He only sighed appreciatively against me, the vibration carrying from his chest to mine, making my heart shudder.

I definitely wasn't used to this… and was definitely enjoying the affection too much.

I tried to keep my eyes ahead and not stare at his tired beauty, or feel his chest rise and fall against mine, or shiver as his hair tickled at my neck, or purr as I felt his breath against my skin.

All of which I failed at.

Can you blame me? He was so beautiful- even in his deathly appearance I was still so mesmerized by his beauty.

We had an earlier class together, and I guess I would've noticed how out-of-it he was if I hadn't been avoiding his existence.

It was just like him to go over-exert himself, be stupid enough to not get any sleep, and making other's pay for it.

…But _god_ he's _gorgeous_…

"Gah!" I tripped over a root and nearly tumbled to the ground, but caught my balance, "Dammit! You damn root, I'LL KILL YOU!"

Then suddenly I felt something vibrate against my chest as Yuki gave out a disturbed moan.

"You awake?" I said hopefully, maybe he would be able to walk on his own.

"No."

I rolled my eyes, "you know, if I weren't here, you'd be de-"

"Whoa!' Yuki suddenly pushed against me, nearly falling out of my arms if I hadn't had such a good reaction and kept my arms tight and stubborn around him, "What the- what's going on??"

"You _fainted_ you Damn Rat! And _I_ had to carry you! SO STOP SQUIRMING!" I pressed him closer to me to try and stop him from resisting.

"No! Let me down!" Yuki was blushing like mad; his eyes were wide with shock, and pushed reluctantly away me with force.

"Fine!" I released my hold on him and he fell to the ground with a thud and a small sound that was suspiciously like a squeak.

I looked down at him, an eyebrow raised, "Did you just _squeak_?"

"You dropped me!" He sounded like he couldn't believe it as he sat there on the ground bewildered.

I shoved my arms across my chest, and walked on without him, "You told me too, so quit being so weird and walk." We were close enough to the house that I could see it now- he could make it if he had that much energy to argue with me.

I heard Yuki scramble up- then I heard something like stumbling, then another faint thud. I glanced over my shoulder to see him on his hands and knees, his face hidden by his hair.

I felt my eye twitch.

_Was he for real?_

I let out an exasperated noise, stalked over to him and grabbed him from under his arms and hauled him up, "You're such a pretty boy," Then I hooked my arm under the back of his thighs and lifted him onto my chest in a reverse piggyback like how I did the last time I carried him in the cold wind when he had came to find me. This way it wasn't so easy for him to resist since I had such a secure hold on him.

"D-don't, I can walk!" Yuki was already protesting and trying to shove away from me but my arm that was around his upper back didn't let him accomplish much.

"Could you _shut up?!_" I barked, but Yuki didn't seem to hear me-

"I don't need to be carried! I can do this myself-"

"You fainted _twice_, and have made it perfectly clear that you _can't_ do this by yourself!" I retorted, stepping out of the shade of the trees and into the clearing in front of the house. "We're almost there anyways, so just shut it!"

"Put me down! Put me down _right now_!"

He really wasn't going to give up, was he? _Well neither am I, so suck that!!_

"You're not making this any easier for me, you damn rat! _Stop struggling!_ It's not like I'm gonna _rape you!_"

Suddenly I felt him grab a fistful of my orange hair and jerk my head back so I was starring into his vicious, violet eyes surrounded by pink.

"_Let me down."_

His hiss was venomous, and would've made me cringe if I wasn't so pissed off at his lack of appreciation. Did he think I was doing this for my enjoyment?

"_No._" I returned his venom in a more cat-like hiss, my eyes challenging his.

"I don't want to be carried!" Yuki gave a final shove with all his might and I let go of my grasp on him again-m and he fell to the ground. I let my body nearly fall on top of his, but my hands that were now locking his in a firm grip held me up. Our noses nearly touched and I could feel his startled breath on my lips.

"_You don't know what you want."_

Yuki stared up at me, with bewildered eyes, and I saw something like fear shoot through them…

--

(Yuki's POV)

"_You don't know what you want."_

His eyes were ferrous, but his voice wasn't full of rage, but accusation.

I stared up at him, the impact of his words shot through me- I wanted to snap at him, I wanted to say something like "I _do_ know what I want, and I don't want you to carry me!" but I couldn't get myself to…

The words that he had chosen, the way he had said it, that knowing look in his eyes… I felt like he saw right through me, and even though his voice wasn't sharp his words cut into my inner flesh. It was like he wasn't talking about me being carried…

And then he was lifting me up again, and I felt the rise and fall on his chest against mine as he continued to carry me. I clung onto his shirt, too shocked from his words to resist.

I wanted to say _yes_, I wanted to tell him _I __do__ know what I want._

But did I really?

But no matter how much I would try to convince myself, I knew the answer to that.

No. I didn't.

I haven't been able to sleep the past days _because_ I didn't know…

But even so, I opened my mouth to tell him that he was wrong, what gave him the idea that he knew what I wanted or not when _he_ was the one who couldn't own up to all of his emotions that are responsible driving me to the state I am in now... but my throat felt dry and my lungs quivered with exhaustion. My eyelids grow painfully heavy and the bags underneath my eyes felt like they were filled with drying concrete.

I felt Kyo remove his arm from around my back to open the front door- and then it was back there, securing me to his chest.

I felt him ascend the stairs, his chest pressing against mine every time he inhaled- I felt so frustrated with myself and how I was lacking in the ability to even reply to his sudden assumption.

Again I felt the absence of his arm as he opened my bedroom door and made his way to my bed.

I clung to his shirt, I didn't want him to see my face- my face was surely a painting of emotions since I didn't have the energy to hide anything.

I felt him lean downwards slowly, and felt my back gently fall against my welcoming bed, soft with blankets.

I still kept my face nuzzled inside his shirt, and my hands didn't relax their grip.

Kyo pulled back, and easily broke my grip from my momentary lack of strength. I refused to look at him as he stayed there, leaning over me.

"You don't look good."

I looked at him despite myself.

He was keeping his space from me, his elbows locked… but his eyes might as well be right up to mine, the impact they had on me. He was scrutinizing my appearance and I felt myself blush under his gaze.

"I'm calling Hatori."

He straightened up, but I panicked and grabbed at his wrist, "No don't!"

He looked back at me, a bit taken aback from my sudden physical contact.

I dropped my grasp, feeling embarrassed, "I- I'm just tired, that's all…"

He looked over at the closed door, let out a sigh and sat on the edge of my bed, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked over at me with a firm look, "If you turn into a rat, I'm calling him."

I wrinkled my nose, and was awarded by a twitch at the sides of his mouth.

Then he looked away as well and brushed his hands through his hair- and I suddenly had the urge to run my hands through his hair as well, remembering the way it had felt the last time I had- but I could barely lift myself up to sit, I felt so drained, and so comfortable in my soft, warm bed...

"You faint more then anyone I've ever met, and yet I still cant manage to beat you." Kyo snorted at himself, "How pathetic is _that_?"

"Pretty pathetic." I agreed.

Even though I was only _agreeing_ with him, he was suddenly defensive and shot a glare at me, "Hey, _I'm_ not the one who was being carried around!"

I raised an eyebrow at him, "And _I'm_ not the one so eager to do the carrying."

He wrinkled his nose is disgust, "Don't twist my words!"

"I'm not twisting anything," I said simply as I saw his hair start to stand on end,

"You're twisting _my mind_, so shut up!"

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, rat boy! _I'll_ do that for you, if you don't stop it!"

"You're on _my_ bed, Cat. Behave yourself."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are."

"I'm _not_!"

I pushed myself upright with a great deal of effort, my body reluctantly co-operating with me, and raised an eyebrow at him, making him blush.

He snapped his head back to glare at the floor, orange hair sweeping in front of his flushed face, "Fine, I'll _behave_ myself." He muttered, almost inaudibly- followed by incoherent noises that sounded like "_stupid rat"_ and _"thinks he knows everything"_

I was really amused, and let out a small laugh, feeling the sides of my cheeks tug as I smiled.

Then his eyes looked over at me through his orange hair again, and he gazed at me.

I tried to stop smiling by biting my lip- and he straightened up to look more clearly at me, and I felt a huge blush burn at my cheeks, so I sank back to place my head on the pillow, unable to look away from him.

I was getting really nervous under his awed gaze, and I looked away, biting my lip even harder.

"You don't smile enough."

I looked back at him, startled by his comment. "What are you talking about? Are you blind, I smile all the time."

He shook his head, still looking at me as if I was still smiling, "It's not a _smile_."

I blushed. "Don't say that."

He looked with more focus into my eyes, curious by my reaction.

"I try hard to. Don't make it sound like I don't try." I felt the sadness in my voice, even though I had tried to hold it back.

He looked at me almost gently, "I didn't mean that." He cocked his head, "It's just… sometimes you smile… but it's not real. You never seemed to mean it, and I hated that. Then I saw… _your_ smile."

I felt my cheeks burn; feeling exhausted by how much blushing has drained me of my last ounce of energy.

"Why don't you smile like that all the time?"

"Why don't you?"

The corners of his mouth gave a tug, and he shrugged.

I felt his eyes wonder amongst my face, taking in my blush and vulnerability most likely.

I hadn't registered that he was moving closer to me until he was hovering over my body. His eyes were full of an emotion I couldn't identify, but found familiar. That look he always had just before he kissed me…

I felt my pulse rage; I was trying to keep my breath steady but I still felt it's shaky waver as it ghosted back to me from Kyo's lips. His orange hair hung around his face, and his breath felt rough when he exhaled but sounded smooth- and smelt so warm, so comforting, his breath was so reassuring…

My energy was draining faster and faster from my adrenaline as he inched closer… and then his nose ran down the side of mine as he exhaled his hot breath inside my mouth before I felt his moist, wet, warm lips touch mine- when suddenly I felt myself transform.

**-****End****-**

**AN- **Oh my... oh my oh my, **!REVIEW!** please please i need to know how this is-- what do you think?? is it good or bad? Pah, After eighteen chappies I'm still so nervous...


	19. Chapter 19

**AN**- Here is chpt. 19, thank you everyone who has reviewed, i hope you enjoy this (fruitsbaskets doesnt belong to me)

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

(Kyo's POV)  
His delicious breath was overflowing in my head, and I felt my wet lips brush against his _incredibly_ soft ones when all of a sudden I was surrounded by smoke and the wet softness of Yuki's lips was unexpectantly replaced by something _furry-_

"BLWAA!" I threw myself back, spitting and wiping at my mouth feverishly. "AUU GROSS!"

I looked down to see a surprised little mouse looking up at me from Yuki's clothing, and I flared- "DAMMIT, YUKI, NEXT TIME YOU CHANGE INTO A STUPID GODDAMN RAT, WARN ME!"

He still looked pretty shocked, and I saw his furry silver cheeks glow a slight pink.

"DAMMIT, I DON'T WANT ALL YOUR DAMN _FUR_ IN MY MOUTH, YOU CAN KEEP _THAT_ TO YOURSELF, THANKS!"

"It wasn't my fault!" He retorted, his voice surprisingly angry for the little form he was in, "You're the one who made me so nervous, coming onto me like that!"

"_YOU'RE_ THE ONE BEING SO GODDAMN CUTE, YOU MORON!" The words were out of my mouth before I could think them, and I felt a blush over-come my still frustrated face.

"Gggg- dammit." I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes as I dug my elbows into my knees. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid."_

Why did I _do_ that? Why cant I refrain myself from touching him? He was so tired, I should've let him sleep, but instead -- I felt something soft pat onto my thigh.

I peeked at it through the corner of my eye- and saw Yuki's paw on my leg, looking away.

… _Ha. Trying to be cute, is he?_

I rolled my eyes, and removed my hands from my face. I brought one hand underneath his small body, feeling his soft paws on my palm as I scooped him up. I put my other hand in a fist and rested my chin on it as I brought the furry Yuki to my face.

"You're hopeless."

He glowed red in my palm.

I moved my hand, placing him gently back down to where his clothes were on his bed.

I looked at his innocent form, and couldn't help but feel more comfortable and controlled.

"You haven't answered my question."  
He blinked up at me.

I continued, "Why haven't you been able to sleep?" I had asked it when I was carrying him, but still hadn't forgotten that he didn't answer.

He looked away, his fur glowing pink once more.

I knew better then to think that it wasn't because of what I had submitted him to. I sighed.

"Is it because of me?" I asked, he didn't answer… so I took that as a yes.

I glared at him, "I told you not to put your health at risk for me, remember?"

He still didn't answer.

I sighed.

"Man, I didn't think you'd lose sleep or anything." I didn't look at him, knowing that he would have that 'are you stupid?' look on his face. "Look, just... I dunno what I've been doing, I didn't really know why I did it, it all just happened..." I clenched my fists together, "… I don't get what's going on inside of me, it's something totally idiotic and stupid but..."

I sighed, unable to find the right words to describe it, then shoved the heel of my hand into my eyes, "hnn, just... I just don't know, okay?"

I glanced over to him and saw him looking at me through big, sparkling, black eyes-

He was so small… I felt dominating in this situation-

I felt a devilish smile grace my face; "I could definitely crush you right now-"

"Don't you even _think-"_ then smoke was in the air again and I was too startled to react- and then Yuki's face was in view-

"Don't look!" I felt him shove my face away as I heard a rustling of sheets- my face was _burning_.

"Dammit, Rat, I wasn't going to!"

"Just _don't!"_

But I turned back anyways, defensive, "It's not like I haven't seen you transform back before-" and then I saw his bare, pale, smooth chest, white as snow- he looked so soft, so fragile, his figure was so slim, and feminine…

Then suddenly Yuki pulled the sheet up to his neck, his face rosey pink.

_Okay… maybe that wasn't as ineffective as I thought…_

No, it _definitely_ had an effect…

I felt my face burn, and I opened my mouth to say something and finally came out with "—I gotta go-" as I pushed myself off the bed and was making my way to the door when-

"-Kyo,"

I twisted my head around to look at him. He was sitting up, one of his hands behind him keeping him on balance as he sat up, the other hand clutching the sheet to his chest. He looked like he really wanted to say something…

I yanked at the collar of my shit, fitting it properly on my shoulders, trying to control my blush, "Get more sleep, Rat Boy, you look like shit."

And with that, I turned and walked away.

--

(Yuki's POV)

When Kyo had left my room the night he tried to tell me his side, I didn't have a chance to think of what he had told me- I had fallen asleep out of complete exhaustion.

But now, it was another two days after, my sleep had caught up, and my brain was functional once more.

I didn't know what to think. What he said was so unclear, so useless in helping me try to figure this out. But at the same time, it made absolute sense to me. He really did look like he was telling me the truth. I was just expecting more from him, I expected him to know everything that was going on inside of him like he usually did. I have never seen Kyo struggle so hard to explain his emotions. He's always been the type of guy who knows what he wants, why he wants it, and goes and gets it.

But last night- he looked completely lost.

Did this mean that… maybe he felt the same way I did? Was that confusion he showed the same kind of confusion that was racing through my mind every day when I thought of him?

I turned over onto my stomach and nuzzled my face into my pillow. I've never had so much difficulty trying to figure myself out as I do now. I used to always know what was wrong- even if I couldn't fix it; I always knew to some extent. But this time, everything was rubbish in my brain- nothing made sense. There was no logic, sensible, rational or sane thought in my head when it came to Kyo. All that I had was that feeling.

That illogical, insensible, irrational, and completely _insane_ feeling that vibrated every fibre within me…

Suddenly I heard a crash from downstairs, followed by some obnoxiously loud arguing.

I groaned, and turned my face to the side. The sun was shining through my window, and I snapped my eyes closed to sheild them from the blinding light.

Sighing, I sat up and rubbed at my eyes. I slid my legs off my bed and lifted myself up, stretching. I lightly padded my way over to my closet to get dressed, and after I finished I made my way out of my room and down the hall.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs the arguing had not ceased.

"If _you_ can throw books at me _I_ can throw plates at you!" Kyo barked, his fists clenched to his sides as he stood with his back to me. Across the kitchen I saw Shigure cross his arms over his chest.

"You break enough of my furniture, don't go breaking my plates!"

"DON'T THROW YOUR PERVERTED BOOKS AT ME!"

_So much noise…_

I took a few steps, grabbed a fistful of Kyo's radiant orange hair that tickled my skin with it's softness, and yanked his head back far enough so that I could look at his startled face.

"Didn't I tell you not to be so noisy in the morning?"

His vibrant red eyes were sparkling with his morning mood, but they were wide with shock.

"Good morning Yuki!" Shigure said pleasantly.

I reluctantly looked away from Kyo and up at him, "And I thought I told _you_ not to instigate him."

His cheerful face fell into a pout, and he opened his mouth to say something but Kyo beat him to it,

"Hey- Hey! Let me go, rat!"

He was nearly falling over since I hadn't let go of my grip that made him bend over unnaturally far. I sighed and obeyed, allowing him to crash to the floor on his back.

"DAMMIT, DO THAT AGAIN AND I'LL KILL YOU!"

I turned around, and put one foot on either side of him- and saw him blush underneath me.

"If you ever wake me up from your immature yelling again, _I'll_ kill you."

"Yuki! Kyo! Good morning!"

Kyo and I both looked over to the stairs to see Tohru coming down, a smile on her face.

"Good morning, Honda-San." I said as Kyo slithered his body out from under mine, his face a deep crimson, grumbling nonsense to himself. I was finaly begining to wake up fully- I felt a grin tug at my lips, and I had tried to hold it back.

It was so easy to make him blush that it nearly had _me_ blushing.

"I hope you had a good sleep, Yuki, you looked very tired for some time."

I felt Kyo glance at me, then away- but I acted like I hadn't noticed.

"I had a good sleep, thank you-"

"Why, Kyo, you've really brushed up on your self-control."

I looked over to Shigure who was grinning at the Cat. I saw Kyo's hair go static-

"OF COURSE I HAVE! Living in this circus, I have to put up with it somehow!" Kyo stormed out of the room, pushing Shigure aside as he did.

The Dog was still grinning as he turned to me, "You think he's warming up to you?"

I felt an unnaturally hot warmth burn at my cheeks, and as soon as I felt it I saw Shigure look like I had just proven a suspicion right.

I turned away quickly, feeling absolutely betrayed by my body…

"Yuki?"

"Shigure, if you don't stop getting a rise out of him, I will never get a decent sleep," I composed myself and looked back at him, "And I will bring it out on _you_."

I grabbed my bag and made my way out of the kitchen.

--

(Kyo's POV)

"Kyo?"

I snapped out of my daze and looked over to Tohru.

"Do you want any rice balls?" She said with an uncertain smile.

"No thanks." I mumbled.

The sun was hot on the back of my neck as I watched the grass sway slightly in the breeze. It was lunch break, and here I was- sitting with Tohru, Wave Girl, that _damn_ Yankee, Momiji, Haru, and, of course… Yuki.

My arms were tight across my chest and I gripped onto my shirt, putting every effort I could into making sure I didn't give myself a chance to do anything stupid with my hands.

I found that my body acted on it's own accord more often then usual when I was around Yuki. But apparently that wasn't the case for _him_.

_Damn Rat_.

I just wondered if anything I had said and done, if any of that had an effect on him. Maybe he had no problem controlling himself near me because he didn't-

Something poked my cheek, and I whipped around to see Haru studying me. I watched him watching me- but he didn't say anything.

"Whaddya want?" I snapped.

Haru shrugged and looked away-

"DAMMIT, IF YOURE GONNA POKE ME IN THE FACE AND LEAST _SAY SOMETHING!"_

"Oooh, Kyo got poked in the face!" Momiji chirped, and I turned on him-

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, YOU STUPID RABBIT!"

Momiji looked like he was about to cry, and I felt my face scrounge up in disgust-

_Yuki looked __a lot__ more attractive when __he__ cried-_

I looked over to Yuki at the thought of him- and saw him looking at me… and I starred back. I had completely forgot about everyone else around us when I looked into his violet eyes- he had his guard up again, like he was trying to hide something from me…

I _hated_ it when he did that- there was only one thing on my mind, and that was to get whatever it was he was holding back from me _out_ of him.

So I reached across to him, grabbed at his tie and pulled him towards me as I leaned in.

"What?" I said it firmly.

I accomplished in making him shocked, and I was even more pleased to see his cheeks blush- but I still kept my hold tight, and my eyes even tighter. If _he thinks_ he can hide something from me, he's _wrong_- after I went on and told him all that last night, I expected _something_ in return-

"Kyo?"

(Yuki's POV)

"Kyo?"

The voice brought me back to reality- I had completely forgot that our group of friends were surrounding us, and apparently Kyo was also on the same page with me.

I composed myself faster, enclosing my slender fingers around his soft, warm, hand- _that_ brought his attention back to me- and I tugged his grip away from my tie.

"Beka Neko, don't ruin my clothing." I adjusted my tie as Kyo was still working on composing himself- but 'composing' seemed to mean a different thing to him.

"Don't look at me like that, then!" He fumed.

_How subtle._

I dropped my hands and narrowed my eyes at him, "and how, exactly, was I looking at you?"

It wasn't a good move, but I was challenging him… to see if he was about to let it all out around everyone else. Kyo opened and closed his mouth a few times, his eyes livid, but he settled with shoving his arms across his chest and looking away, grumbling incoherent words.

I consciously kept myself in order for the next few minutes as the conversation started to pick up in the circle again, but when I felt like everyone's attention was away from Kyo and I, I let myself drift into thought.

He was better then I gave him credit for, reading me. It was only when Tohru had offered him some lunch when I noticed that he seemed to be deep in thought, since I didn't let myself look at him any earlier. I remembered what he had told me the last time we were alone, even though I've been pondering on it for some time there was a lot I still needed to think about.

And now I'm starting to think that he hasn't told me everything since he looked so deep in thought.

After seeing him struggle to find the right words to explain his feelings, I started thinking whether _I_ could say what I felt if I ever told him… Then I thought about telling him. How would he react, would it be the response he was hoping for? Was he even hoping for a response at all?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the bell that signalized the end of lunch. Everyone got up from the grass and together we made our way back to the school. We separated ways in the hallway, and I snuck a last glance at Kyo's back as he walked further away from me. This would probably be the last time I see him today.

I wondered how much longer I would have to sort out my thoughts before something happened between us that would scatter them again.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** I hate getting poked in the face- so I'm sorry I submitted you to that, Kyo. I'm terrible. Every lovely person who's reading this, please **!Review!** for me! I love your feedback, I love love love hearing what you think-- even if you dont have alot to say! _thank you!!_


	20. Chapter 20

**AN- **Dammit, I am sorry for not updating yesterday... I had no access to internet, and I was getting all flustered by it. But anyways, it was -good- cuz I had actually gotten some sort of writer's block after the last chapter I wrote, so I spent the next day thinking on my story, and now I'm out of the danger zone.  
Yes, the whole day I thought about this story... kah, I even started drawing pictures of moments from it, and they came out much _much_ better then I thought since I am usually -shit- at drawing in anime style, but they were surprisingly well done for someone like me... maybe if I can find a way to work my damn scanner I can upload them!  
Anyways, so I come back and I have all of these wonderful reviews, and me gads I was so excited to keep on writing. Thank you everyone who has reviewed!! Fruits Baskets is not mine:

**Chapter Twenty**

(Kyo's POV)

-The Next day-

The class air was thick and hard to breathe. I glared at my desk, tracing the patterns and words that were scribbled onto it with my eyes. Biting down on my lip, I felt the muscles in my hand start to ache, as I didn't let them unravel from the fists they were in. Even though Yuki was one desk beside me, he hasn't been this close since last night when I had tried to say what I felt.

Dammit, I shouldn't of have said anything, now the only thing I feel is like a _complete idiot._ He was probably going to tell his damn fan-girls and then they'll be hunting for my head. I cringe in my seat and scrounged up my face in disgust… the hell, they'd probably do it.

I glared up at the clock- _few more minutes…_

I glared back down at my desk and dropped my forehead onto it with a light 'thunk'. _Just a few more goddamn minutes and I'll be free of that rat for the rest of the day. _It would be easier to relax if he was further away, but _no_ he's gotta sick _right beside me._

Suddenly the monotone of the bell rang out through the air and pulled me out of my thoughts- I sat bolt up for a start, _finally, class is over!_

People were already rushing to the door, and I made to stand up but I felt a hand push my shoulder back down into the seat. I looked over to see Yuki standing next to me, eyes on the door, and hand still firm on my shoulder.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" I growled, I was _this close_ to escaping!

Yuki didn't answer me, he just kept watching until the last person hurried out, and the door closed from it's own weight.

I suddenly became _acutely_ aware that it was just he and I in the classroom…

"Look, Rat-"

But I was cut off by feeling his other hand on my free shoulder, and watched him as he moved his leg over my lap so he was standing with me in between him- completely taken aback, I could do nothing but watch as he rested himself in my lap- my throat went numb, and my mouth went completely dry.

"I want to talk."

…

"WHAT THE HELL, IF YOU WANNA TALK YOU DON'T HAVE TO-" his hand slipped over my mouth and held it tightly shut. He looked at me with a firm stare, and placed his free hand on the back of my chair.

"What did you mean?"

I blinked up at him. I could smell his scent coming off of his hand, feel his warm, smooth, skin against my lips, and my mouth began to water.

"What did you mean last night?" His eyes went gentle, and he was searching mine.

I tried to swallow.

_Oh great… dammit, couldn't he just assume like he always does?_

His hand slid off of my mouth- and I was without an excuse to not speak.

I tried to swallow again, then I looked away from him, feeling a blush creep up into my cheeks.

"Just answer me."

I looked back at him, and he was determined. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.

I want to tell him what I meant, but dammit, I don't really _get_ what I ment, it just came out...  
Wasn't he egotistical enough to just assume that I had heart for eyes over him?

"Or was that all just a bunch of bullshit."  
His voice had a hard edge to it, but I could tell still hear a faint tone of desperation in it.

I felt Yuki grab me by the throat and force me to look at him, his eyes endless holes of emotion, "I'm _tired_ of beating your ass to get some kind of reaction out of you, but I'll do it again!"

"_Dammit_, I don't know!" I felt myself crack, and the words were out before I could stop them- "I don't know what I meant, I don't get what's going on, and I definitely don't know why the hell I told you that!" I felt my chest give an odd quiver, "I just don't know, got it? It's..."

Yuki's grip on my throat loosened but it didn't become any easier to breathe.

I was intoxicated by his scent, his nearness...

I couldn't hold myself back any longer…

I leaned forward a few more inches, and was unbearably close to filling the space in between us…

His breath washed over my face like fresh spring water, and I felt my pulse begin to quicken as I mesmerized the feeling of his legs against my thighs, his hand still gently placed on my throat, His wavering breath inside my anticipating mouth…

I dragged my nose down the side of his and tilted my head slightly- I felt my moist lips finally brush against his, and I captured his bottom lip in between mine. He let out a quivering breath, and I released his lip only to capture it again.

I was gentle with him at first as I kissed him- but as I felt him capture my lip in between his in return, I couldn't help but sigh at the feeling of his moist, warm lips. I felt him move his left leg against the side of my thigh, and heat overcame my body… I let my tongue slid out of my wet hot mouth and I let it drag across Yuki's bottom lip, like water across silk. I felt his breath quiver as I did so, and I dragged it more insistently across his upper lip.

I felt the cool hand he had at my throat slowly drag up to my jaw line and trail its way up to my messy orange hair, and I shuttered. I rolled my mouth against his, insisting it to open, and Yuki did so obediently. Our mouths were open against each other and I let my wet tongue slide into his cool, wet mouth. I felt heat surge through my body, and I let my hand let go of its grip on the side of my chair and had my fingertips rest on his knee.

I felt his leg twitch at my touch, but once he relaxed I let my fingertips start to trail up his thigh as my tongue ran along the roof of his wet mouth.

I let the palm of my hand press onto his thigh as it slowly made its way up his slender leg, and my heart pounded when I felt Yuki's lips close around my tongue. I slid it out of his mouth and ran it over his moist lips, making them wet with his saliva that was on my tongue. I felt his hand curl my hair into his fist.

My hand made its way to his waist, and I slipped my hand under the hem of his shirt and to his soft, cool, smooth skin underneath. I felt his muscles twitch underneath my touch, and his tongue dragged itself across my lips in response.

His wet, soft yet firm, tongue felt so heavenly on my lips…

I let my other hand rest on his knee, and begin to slowly trail its way up his other thigh, pleasuring in the fact that I was making his breath more erratic. My fingertips reached the skin underneath his shirt, and I started to trace lazy patterns against his waist in the lightest touch- and was awarded by a shiver from Yuki's fragile body.

He pressed his mouth onto mine the same way I had and I opened it willingly to welcome his sweet, luxurious breath into my wet anticipating mouth.

His tongue ran over mine as his entered past my lips, and I couldn't restrain the groan that I had been holding back… I felt Yuki's tongue began drag itself throughout my wet, appreciative mouth, and I felt his weight shift on my lap as I began to feel my pants become uncomfortably tight-

"_I must've left it in here-"_ A rattling at the door snapped me back to reality- I pushed Yuki off of me and onto my desk in quick reflex just as a few students came inside-

The blond one looked back and forth between us, shocked at our presence, and a brunette with high pigtails peeked over his shoulder to see what the stall was about. When she saw us her eyes popped open-

"What are you two doing in here?" She exclaimed.

"The hell do you care?" I barked, making her cringe while the blonde rushed in and grabbed a lonely textbook on one of the desks and disembarked,

I grabbed fistfuls of my hair and shoved my head in-between my knees, "Dammit dammit _dammit!" _I growled at myself, "_fuck-"_

"What are you two still doing in here?" I heard a voice demanded, the authority in it labelling it to be a teacher's, "Get to your next class now!"

I dropped my hands and looked over to glare at her, "I'll go to my class whenever I damn want to!"

"Don't give me that, young man!" She shot at me, her hands on her hips as she stood in the doorway.

"Don't _you_ give me that _young man_ shit!" My mood was definitely not going to improve if she replies, but luckily Yuki stepped in-

"I'm sorry, Mayu-chan-sensei, I needed to have a word with him, please excuse his behaviour." His voice was calm and collected, and I looked up at him with shock. Even sitting on a desk he held his dignity pretty well.

I looked back at the teacher who looked like she wanted nothing more then to storm over to me and hit me over the head with a metre stick or anything else Teacher's carry in their pants, but instead she nodded curtly and left the room.

Yuki and I looked at each other, and we held a gaze in between us for a moment before I turned away blushing and shoved the heels of my hand onto my eyes.

This was _ridiculous._

I felt Yuki's hand brush itself through my hair, and I had to concentrate on holding back a shiver at his affectionate touch- while the blush overcame my face.

"You get frustrated too easily."

I peeked up at him through my eyelashes, and saw him looking at me with a gentle gaze- the pink tint in his cheeks making him look a bit flustered and even more attractive to me. I fought to keep myself from reaching out to him…

"Take a moment to calm down, and go to class." Yuki said, the softness in his voice overpowering the authority of his words. He slid off of the desk and let his hand comb itself out of my hair as he turned to leave. I had to concentrate on not grabbing his wrist and pulling him back.

He vanished from the room and I was alone with my flustered self.

Dammit, he could've chosen a _much_ better place to confront me.

… But then what would've happened? If nobody had interrupted, what would have happened?

I shook my head before anything came into it- I already had enough problems right now, and thinking of what would have gone on between us didn't exactly help the problem in my pants.

I took a moment to shove everything remotely related to Yuki out of my head- I tried to think of anything that disgusted me, and that wasn't hard… I concentrated on Shigure in Ayame's costumes, and that _definitely_ did the trick… but then my mind involuntarily started to picture Yuki in Ayame's costumes and… I was clutching the edge of my seat, knuckles white, to keep my hands from doing anything stupid.

I took a few breaths and I thought of my training, concentrated on reciting certain moves, and soon I was feeling more relaxed. I stood up when I felt like I had myself in control again, and made my way to my next class.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** Thank you fer being so patient with me, and everyone who has reviewed-- I love all the suggestions you give me, and I have taken them all into consideratin. I am working hardhard to get the next chapter up soooon- cuz things seem to be rolling. so please **!Review!** I luv every review, and if you have anything to say, please tell me.  
_Hang in there!!_ -writing next chapter feverishly-


	21. Chapter 21

**AN-** Hah, I'm sorry nothing epic happened last chapter- it was leading up to this chapter which is important, but not alot goes on at the same time. I really hope you have a long attention span.  
Fruits Baskets does not belong to me.  
Oh, and semi-important notice, I have started summer school today so I may not be as quick at updating as I used to be... which is actually why I've been updating so much, I wanted to get as much in as I could before I got into summer school.  
Anyways, I will stay on top of this as much as I can.  
Please enjoy:

_**Chapter Twenty-One**_

(Yuki's POV)

When Kyo had kissed me, I felt like my insides were bubbling. His lips, his mouth, his tongue, his fingertips- every part of him was so warm and welcoming… whenever I was close to him, it was never close enough.

I sighed and ran a hand through my sun-bathed hair. The last few classes were long and had dragged by with agonizing slowness, but eventually passed like everything else.

The dragging past hours proved themselves useful, though, because during those I decided that I was going to ask Kyo for a straight answer- If this was for real, or just for his amusement.

If Kyo wasn't going to give me a straight answer that I wasn't going to misinterpret, then I'll just have to get it out of him myself, because right now my feelings were going ignored, and it was devastatingly unbearable. I'm not going to put up with him any longer.

I was… tired of reaching out… and only realizing that I am alone.

I felt pretty determined in myself as I walked home from school. I still didn't know what I was going to do if I didn't succeed in my plan, not because I was pretty confident that I would win like I always do, but because I knew that I still couldn't forget him no matter how hard I tried.

But even in my confidence, I felt an impending doom of insecurity loom over me. What would I do if he rejected me again? What if I did get the answer out of him, and it was that he didn't feel one damn thing for me- except in a hormonal way.

… Like everyone else…

What if I was just a replacement for someone else? A replacement for his loneliness?

I stopped in my tracks. My hands started to shake and I felt my nose sting as fresh tears started to well up in my eyes…

What if he didn't want me? What if he was just playing with me and he didn't care? What if there was someone else that he thought of whenever he would kiss me or touch me?

I didn't notice that the tears were spilling from my eyes until the streams it left on my cheeks began to harden and grow cold.

_Why would that matter to me, though?_

It was _Kyo_- the stupid cat. Wasn't it just hormonal for me? I only submitted to him because I liked the attention, right? Because I felt important, right?

Denial flowed through me as a cold winter wind across wet skin.

A large grey cloud blocked the sun, and the air suddenly became chilly around me, nipping at the streams on my cheeks, making my tears grow cold as they continued to race down my face.

I needed to admit this to myself before I could ever even think about admitting it to Kyo…

It _wasn't_ hormonal; I _didn't_ go with it because of the attention… I knew that because if it were another person, I would reject them. That's what I've been doing ever since I was admitted into public school. I rejected people, pushed them away from me, but Kyo…

Another thing was that Kyo was a _boy_… I've always rejected the idea of being with a boy… but I've also rejected the idea of being with a girl, however not to that exact extent.

I raised my hand to my face.

Yet, it _was_ for the attention, the importance- Kyo's always been able to ignite those feelings inside of me. I _wanted_ to be needed, to be _important_… but only to _him._ I have gotten it from many people, but it wasn't the way I wanted it to be. They did it because they thought I was beautiful. The attention… it wouldn't have been there if I was just an average boy, would it?

But with Kyo- it wasn't for my beauty. He hated me. When everyone else thought they 'loved' me, he hated me. I could see it in his eyes. He saw me differently.

He's always seen me differently…

My fingers brushed the cold streams, wet on top from fresh tears but caked on the bottom from the cold.

He called my bluff. He was the only one who saw me for who I really am. He saw that when I smiled, it wasn't from inside of me. He was the first one I let inside; I let down my guard to _him_. He… he didn't reject me then, he looked at me as if he'd never seen me before. Like I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life… but it wasn't the same kind of look that everyone else gave me. He only gave me that look when I let him inside, when I showed him myself.

I felt tears stream onto my fingers.

When he would look at me like that, it was like it automatically dissolved away his rage, the anger that he used to mask himself with. I saw _him_, scarred and beautiful. I felt wanted by him… and I wanted him in return. He is always so defensive, like he has something to prove. When I saw him by himself training, I saw his passion, his determination, how he would push himself to the limits. There was more to him then I had ever thought there could be. He was always trying to prove himself worthy, trying to prove everyone wrong- and that determination, that deep desire stabbed sharp needles into my beating heart. The time I spent with him, I felt like that anger, that rage at the world… I felt like I dissolved that for him. I was needed by him- and I needed him in return to make me feel so alive.

He had given me a purpose, a power over him, and in return I had given him power over me.

The thought of rejection, not being with him the way I had been in that classroom, even in an oblivious state, made my insides churn and twist, squeezing my lungs until I couldn't breath.

The feeling was so overpowering, so dominating… I didn't know what it was.

I need him to make me feel alive…

Is that what… 'Love'…is? The overpowering, irrational _need_ for someone?

The tears streamed down my face and my fingers trembled.

_Am I in… love… with Kyo?_

I gasped, cringing away from the word, I shook my head at myself.

"No, shut _up_ Yuki, don't be stupid..." I shoved my forearm across my face, wiping away the wetness on my cheeks. "I _like_ him… I like him, that's all."

There.

Like.

I nodded my head.

_I can do that._

It was less intimidating, less… scary, terrifying… vulnerable.

I gave myself a few deep practice breaths and carried on through the woods.

--

(Kyo's POV)

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Tap_

I felt my eye twitch.

Tap

_Tap_

_Tap_

I listened as Shigure tapped his pen against his desk.

I was lying down on the porch, bathing myself in the warm sun.

_Tap_

_Tap_

…

_Tap_

"GODDAMMIT, STOP THAT!" I shut upright and roared.

Startled, Shigure looked at me. "This is _my_ office, I'll do anything I want."

I snarled at him, and rested back down on my side.

Tap

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Why don't you go up on the roof?"

I shut up there, and slumped my body back down stubbornly.

I was waiting for Yuki.

I don't know why, but I feel like I needed to see him, there was no reason why, I just wanted to. I didn't have to kiss him, touch him, or even talk to him… I just wanted to see him again.

I had skipped school one class after our encounter in the classroom, It was really stupid what I did in there- getting a damn hard on- which I got from kissing him, but I only kissed him because he sat himself down in my lap. So if you narrow it down, it was _his _doing, and he should've known something like that would've happened.

On the way home I was really starting to think about Yuki. The feeling he gave me, it was like nothing I could describe, nothing I could comprehend. It vibrated through every part of me, shattering everything I knew in a million little pieces until the only thing I could be sure of was that I only got that way with _him._  
I didn't even know what that feeling was; all I knew about it was that I wanted to feel it forever; I never wanted to be without that feeling, without Yuki.

I couldn't imagine that feeling without him, the way he smiled, and the way he laughed when he meant it, when he was with me… It was all I ever wanted to see, to hear. I could live forever just watching him-

And I wanted to see him right now. I wanted to make him glow, I wanted to make him smile that one special smile that stopped my heart for one second before making it go faster then I ever thought possible…

I was tired of ignoring it, of pretending it wasn't there… It only made it more pronounced, only shoved itself even more in front of my mind. I had to try and figure it out, so I thought of the possibilities… It could be just hormonal, right… everyone wanted Yuki, was it just a matter of time until I too wanted him for myself? Was I just like everyone else?

Ha, hell no, if everyone else was feeling what I was, the world would be going _mad_ and there would be a war over the damn rat. Of course, I did _want_ him, but I didn't feel like this before- so it couldn't be lust, right? If it was I would've been feeling like this the moment I saw him like everyone else.

Maybe I was just looking for affection, to be close to someone. Dammit, that was so pathetic, but… it's in there, that want, that dreading _need_ to have someone to be close to… That sounded like it could be right, I only wanted to feel cared for. It was just out of coincidence that it was that rat, right?

I buried my face into my arms that I had crossed on the hard wood.

… But why him? Everyone else, everyone I've touched, talked to, looked at… they never had the same affect, I never felt that _desire_ I had from him.

But it wasn't my need for some kind of affection that sparked this feeling I had for him… It wasn't anything inside me that sparked it, it was _him_. How different he was from who I thought he had always been… He mystified me, when I thought I knew everything about his boring, emotionless, spoiled self- I see something in him, some strange, ancient sadness that I only saw when I looked in the mirror.

He wasn't like that: spoiled, loved, cold-hearted, and self-centred… I saw it in his eyes, felt it in his desperate touch… I wanted to know _everything_ about him, I wanted to understand exactly what the hell it is about him that has me so damn captivated.

Exactly what it is about him that draws me so close to him, that makes me feel like being close just isn't _close enough._

I wanted him to myself.

I wanted him all to my damn greedy self- if it meant I had to beat off all of his damn fan-girls, if it meant I had to train in the mountains again for years until I could prove that I was worthy of him, of that feeling… I would do it; I wanted to have that feeling, to have him all to myself.

No one see's him like I do, and I _hate_ them for that, I _hate_ them for loving that dead part of him… They didn't know what he was like, they didn't see his sadness, they've never seen how beautiful he is when he smiles and means it, they don't know a _damn thing_ about him and they think that they love him?

Those stupid fucks are driving him further and further away- sure, he's beautiful, but loving him for that is gonna fuck with his head- that wasn't love, dammit, that was shallow and sick- they wouldn't be there if he cried, if he fell apart right near them- they'd run away, they'd spread gossip, I knew that, I know what they're like.

I don't know what love is, but if _that's_ love… then we're all fucked. We're all fucked, because love is shallow, sick, conditional, it's only there when it's convenient, it wont pull you from the mud, it wont sing you to sleep, it wont protect you against everyone else, it wont protect you from yourself.

But that's what I wanted to do, I wanted to protect him- I wanted to protect him from that false love everyone was giving him, I wanted to give him something he would never forget, something he would never feel again.

… So that's it then…

"Good Afternoon, Yuki," Shigure called behind me. I lifted my face from the shelter of my arms and looked over to see Yuki approaching us.

He looked up to Shigure, and then his eyes rested on me.

…I can't deny it any longer.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** Thank you everyone who has reviewed so far, and I'm begging you to do more reviewing. It has helped me out a lot, and I was pretty confident about this chapter, but at the same time a little bit nervous. Thank you so much for reading-


	22. Chapter 22

**AN-** ah shit, i cant believe i've written twenty two bloody chapters and only -now- they've stopped denying anything. I just dont think that their affection towards eachother is anything that they'd easily accept. I hope I didn't kill anyone in the process of making this...  
thank you everyone who has encouraged me to keep on writing- probably be clawing up the walls without you _kahk! _But I am pretty confident in this chapter, i am proud to say-  
anyways, this one is for all you readers and reviewers who have stuck with me to chapter twenty two (which takes off _right_ where chpt. 21 ends btw)

_**Chapter Twenty Two**_

(Kyo's POV)

Yuki slowed to a stop.

He just stood there, basking in the sunlight, looking like so damn gorgeous with those eyes…

His silver hair was glistening in the light, and his white skin seemed to sparkle.

Then he was approaching me once more- but with a more determined walk, his eyes set.

And I was feeling just as determined.

I heard the phone ring, but it sounded faint by the overpowering sound of my heart thumping in my head as he came closer. I faintly acknowledged the creak in the floor as Shigure got up to answer it.

The elbow that was holding up my weight was starting to get sore as it dug into the wooden panel, but I sat perfectly still as Yuki took the last steps to me, Shigure's faint voice babbling in the background.

There was a strange look on his face-

"Hey, you two-" I heard Shigure from behind me, and glanced over my shoulder, reluctantly looking away from Yuki's gaze.

"I'm going over to the main house, don't ruin my furniture." Shigure dropped the pen at my side and turned to leave. I looked down at the pen… it was black and thin, and looked like marble.

I heard a car engine start up.

I looked back up at Yuki and watched him until the roar of the engine faded away.

Before Yuki could say the first words, I pushed myself up and stood on the wooden floor, standing a few heads higher then Yuki from the height of the porch.

"Am I in trouble?" I tried to tease him about the incident in the classroom, and accomplished when I saw a faint tug at the corners of his mouth.

"I need to tell you something, Rat." I hopped down from the porch and walked forward a few steps before I turned around to face him. "I'm not telling you cuz I give a damn about what you think, I just need to get it off my chest."

I ran a hand through my orange hair and down to rest at the back of my neck.

"What I _meant_ in the classroom was…" I looked away from him- his eyes were paralysing me… I really _hated_ it when they paralysed me; there was no escaping from that intense gaze of his, it tore through my skin and underneath my organs.

_This is harder then I thought…_

I looked back at Yuki, who was biting his lip.

_If he bites any harder he's gonna be spewing blood._

I looked away before I got pulled into his deep eyes again, shoving my arms across my chest. I couldn't do this. I couldn't tell him that when I said what I did, that _feeling_ I was talking about… It tore through my skin, my bones, my organs, my mind, my soul, my being… it was so powerful, it was so over-whelming, so beautiful.

And it all belonged to him.

How could I tell him that?

"I like you." I forced the words out, keeping my eyes away from him, "And don't ask me why, I just _do_."

I looked over to him and saw the shocked expression on his face…

_God, was it that hard to believe?_

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not looking for anything from you, it's just been driving me crazy, and I just thought that I should put it out there, got it?"

Yuki opened his mouth to say something but I cut in- "And if you think I'm gonna suck up to you like everyone else, you can just forget it!"

I turned to leave, my hands in fists and my face burning, but then I felt a cool hand snatch at mine and I turned around to see Yuki looking desperately at me.

"I like you."

I felt the shock on my face before I could hide it- then I felt the blush coming- "Dammit, Yuki, this isn't a damn joke!"

"Do you really think you would have a tongue right now if I didn't?"

Wait… okay, hold on…

_Breathe,_ Kyo, _breathe_…

He has a point… I probably wouldn't have a tongue now, Yuki's never been one to let me get away with anything he disagreed with.

But… why the hell would he like me? He didn't like me, not the way I liked him, why can't he see it? I felt anger boil up inside of me-

"You don't get it!" I barked at him, "I _really_ like you!"

I was so damn _angry_, if he thought this was just some kind of damn fling, he was being stupid, and I was gonna make him get it, "I can't stand being away from you, and when you're close to me it's never close enough, and it's driving me CRAZY!"

I tore my hand out of his grasp, "I'm _not_ one of your damn fan girls, this is real for me! Whenever I'm around you I get this weird and completely idiotic feeling and I've never felt it before, and I _hate_ it!" I felt my nails dig into my palms and my knuckles turn white, "You give me this stupid feeling, and I hate it- I hate it because I want it so badly, but I don't want it if it's not from you!"

I let a second go by where I allowed myself to register what I had just let out of my mouth…

I dug the heels of my fists into my eyes and hunched over in shame, "_dammit._" I can't believe I just said that out loud… I can't believe I had said that much out loud…

Every inch of my insides were clenched painfully tight- I have never felt so vulnerable, so weak, so powerless, and so utterly naked in my life.

I was laying out my heart to him; I was giving him my gun and welcoming a bullet.

"Okay."

I snapped my eyes open at his words… _'okay'??_

I removed my hands from my face and looked up at him. His eyes were gentle, soft. He didn't look angry, or disappointed- but somehow this didn't seem to lessen the tightness in my chest.

… I blinked.

"I understand."

I blinked again… "Wait- what?" any sentimental tone I had in my voice had vanished, "I just go pouring out my damn heart and all I get is _'okay, I understand'_?"

I saw the sides of Yuki's mouth tug, "What- do you want a hug?" he teased.

Is he trying to be _funny?_ "YES, Dammit, I want a hug!" I barked, grabbing him and pulling him back into my chest, wrapping my arms firmly around him and burying my face in the crook of his delicate neck.

And for the first time in a long while… I felt at home…

(Yuki's POV)

I felt Kyo pull me against his chest into a warm, insistent hug- and sparks erupted inside me when I felt him nuzzle into my neck… I was taken aback; Kyo has definitely shown affection towards me, but never so… gently.

This was the first time he has ever hugged me if I didn't count the two times he carried me. This time he was embracing me out of choice, this time he was intentionally hugging me…

That feeling I have for him just grew a thousand times stronger in that one simple gesture.

My hands that were in-between his chest and mine moved around his body and to his back, where I held him in my arms for the very first time.

I rested my head on his shoulder, and let contentment run through me. Relief, bliss, disbelief, and… that _feeling_ ran through my veins like a bullet train and I felt completely at ease in his arms, it felt so natural so real… I fit perfectly against his body, like I was meant to rest inside his embrace from the beginning.

I felt his hands slip down to my hips, and he gently pushed me away from him while he pulled away. "Next time, don't start the damn water works." He reached behind himself, I felt his hands enclosed around mine and he brought them away from his back. "That's cheating,"

I felt embarrassed that he had noticed, and I turned away as I felt a blush overcome my cheeks.

"Kah? Why are you blushing?!"

"I'm _not_ blushing, cat!" I tried to sound defensive, and I lifted a hand to hide my cheeks- and I held it there for a second until I felt Kyo's fingers enclosed around mine and tug my hand back away from my face as he leaned around to look at me.

"I didn't tell you to hide it." Kyo looked at me curiously, "You're such a girl, you know that?"

I slipped my hand away from his grip and shoved it in his face, "You blush too, Beka Neko!"

"I DO NOT!"

"You're blushing now!"

Kyo's cheeks were pink, and he looked completely distraught, "IT'S NOT A _BLUSH_!"

I smacked my hand against the side of his head, "You're so immature."

"YOU WANNA FIGHT? I'LL KICK YOUR ASS!"

I sighed.

He really is hopeless.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** holy -shit- you guys are just as patient as Yuki. KUTOS TO YOU!! thank you for sticking with for twenty two chapters, and reviewing for nearly every single one, you guys are incredable!  
I wrote this as close to Kyo and Yuki's characters as I could at the time, and I hope it's good for all of you. THANK YOU!  
Review if you like!


	23. Chapter 23

**AN-** Holy shit you guys are patient. this isnt the kind of story you read to finish, is it? Anyways, my summer school has been uuber confusing- so I've unresponsibly been taking time off of it to work on this story.  
pfff im hopeless, gonna just put that out there. thank you for the reviews!!  
(and i hope my italics aren't plaguing the screen as much 0.0 -I sometimes used them for direct thoughts -- but now that tis is me pointed it out, i've noticed how unneccesary it is)  
puhleesh enjoy:

_**Chapter Twenty Three**_

(Kyo's POV)

"What's going on with you and Yuki?"

I snapped my eyes open, and was immediately blinded by the sun, I shielding my forearm over my face and squinted over to Haru, "What?"

The fresh, lush grass mingled with my orange hair as I was sprawled on my back on the school grounds. Haru was on his stomach, his elbows supporting him as he leaned in closer to me, "I know something's going on between you."

I blinked up at him, "What makes you say that?"

"You don't fight anymore-"

"So?" I turned my eyes away from him, "I just got bored of fighting him, that's all. Big deal."

"I wasn't finished." I looked back over to Haru as he studied my face, "You are both so out of it lately, and you're always glancing at each other like you have a secret."

I felt myself tense. Damn Ox… what made him think he's Sherlock Holms? "Stop acting like you found out some juicy gossip to spread around." I rolled over to my stomach and glared at him, "I don't have a secret, I don't give a damn if Yuki has a secret, and _we_ don't have a secret, got it?"

Haru looked unconvinced, and I saw him glanced behind me, where Yuki was no doubt still sitting and enjoying his lunch with Tohru, her friends, and Momiji. Haru looked back at me, "He was staring at you again."

I felt myself blush, and something start to flutter inside my stomach- I turned my face away from his in attempt to hide it.

"Hm."

I reluctantly kept myself from snapping at him, afraid that I might let something slip in the process… and I kept myself from looking over my shoulder to Yuki with even greater effort.

"Do you hate him?"

I opened my mouth, the word 'yes' at the tip of my tongue out of habit… but something stopped me. That word… _hate_… had I really used it so many times in terms of Yuki? That word, it seemed so harsh to me now. As Haru said it I felt that word shove itself down my throat and cut at the insides of my fleshy stomach like it was a rampaging switchblade.

"Stop asking stupid questions." I finally allowed myself to say, unable to get myself to pronounce that simple three-letter word.

"So what exactly does that mean, I wonder..."

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR GODDAMN BUISNESS, IS IT?" I roared, shooting my face towards him, my eyes like daggers. I suddenly became aware that I had yelled, and I clenched my teeth to keep myself from yelling anything else out. I had to be careful, I didn't even realise what I said till it was out of my mouth… what if something important slipped out?

I buried my face in the ground and rested my hands on the back of my neck, trying to calm myself down.

"I see the way you look at him."

I kept my face hidden…

"Whenever you do look at him, at least."

I felt myself let out a shaky breath- I was getting annoyed by his damn observations. I guess I wasn't as great at keeping my emotions under control like Yuki was.

"And I see the way he looks at you."

My heart stopped… that comment threw me aback. Whenever I had peeked a glance at Yuki, he was never looking at me. I didn't know he ever did, I thought he just ignored me until we were alone… I felt my brows furrow.

"I had once… wished… that he would look at me the way he looks at you now."

I lifted my face from the shield of my arms and looked up at Haru. He was being sincere. He had once fallen in love with Yuki, I knew that much. But Yuki never returned that love… but he was returning _my_ feelings back to me… I took a glance over my shoulder despite myself and gazed at Yuki. Tohru was talking to him, he nodded and grinned occasionally, but I could see that far-off look in his eyes…

He was so beautiful… I could admit that to myself now. The sun glistened off his pale skin- I knew that skin, I had mesmerized how it felt cool against mine, how soft and delicate it was. His hair would shimmer slightly in the sunlight whenever a breeze would weave through it, and I felt jealous of the wind. I loved to run my fingers through his hair- it was like smoke, the touch was so slight it was like a breath.

And even though his eyes were masked, I knew them so well that I could still make out that tiny bit of him inside- if I could have things my way, I would like them to be the last thing I ever see of this sick, twisted, world.

"If you hurt him…"

I snapped my head back to Haru, his voice startling me out of my train of though. He was looking at me with intense eyes, and I couldn't look away as he continued, "I will never let you forget it."

With that, Haru pushed himself off the grass and headed back to the school. I followed him with my eyes, startled at his comment.

I felt rage bubble inside of me and I clenched my fists- that damn punk! Who the hell gave him permission to talk to me like that?!

Then I decided to take his words seriously.  
I looked back at Yuki. What if I did hurt him?

God, that wasn't even a possibility, was it. Everyone I've held close, everyone who's shown affection towards me, and even those who don't- I've hurt them all. I've clawed at their hearts mercilessly, I've bitten through their skin and tore out their intestines. I've made them all bleed, I cut them all up and thrown them as far away from me as possible.

Is it… inevitable that I hurt everyone I care about?

Yuki's eyes glanced over to me- and at seeing my gaze; he held my stare, a curious look overcoming his face.

Could I ever hurt him?

(Yuki's POV)

I was pleased that Kyo was walking home with us this time. It had been a while since he, Tohru, and I left the school grounds together, and it felt normal, familiar. Just like it had been, Kyo and I avoided looking at each other… but now it was for a completely different reason.

We weren't exactly walking home at the moment, though; we were heading to the grocery store to help Tohru get some of the food that we were running out of.

Even though Kyo and I never looked at each other the whole walk, I still peeked a few glances at him. I had noticed that ever since lunch break when Haru and him were talking to each other Kyo's been acting odd, his face holding an expression of deep thought.

It was beginning to worry me.

I slipped past a group of girls that were walking along the sidewalk, trying to keep my concentration on both avoiding females and listening to Tohru- Kyo didn't seem to need to put an effort into avoiding girls, they were avoiding him due to the state he seemed to be in.

His hands were shoved into his pockets, and his brow was furrowed in deep concentration. He wasn't even looking where he was going, and neither was the one girl that was making her way pretty fast towards Kyo-

I reached behind Tohru and grabbed a fistful of Kyo's shirt and pulled him into me as the girl walked past us. He looked startled at my movement- and I was taken-aback at how close I had pulled him… I fought a blush and let go of his shirt,

"Pay attention where you walking, I don't want to be carrying a cat inside the grocery store."

He twitched his eye at me, before we both fell back in step with Tohru.

He didn't even bother to shoot a comment back at me… something was definitely going on.

We reached the grocery store and Tohru took one glance at the glass door and looked back at us, "Umm- it's really busy in there…"

I nodded, "Kyo and I will wait here."

She gave me a smile and shot a worried glance at Kyo's concerning look before retreating into the grocery store.

I shoved at his head, earning an impressively unnatural noise out of him as he stumbled to the side a bit. He turned on me, "Wadda hell was THAT for?"

"You look like you're thinking, and it's scaring people."

"What's that suppose to mean?" He barked- and I felt more comfortable that he was acting like himself again.

"It means that everyone's noticed how out-of-it you've been since lunch." I looked at him and watched as his expression change to the one he's had on the whole way here. "What did Haru say to you?"

He looked away from me and I saw his cheeks flush slightly, "Nothing much."

"Does it have something to do with me?"

He ruffled his hand in his hair, seemingly contemplating whether to say something or not.

I was about to say something when he simply said, "He knows."

I had expected that from all the glancing in my direction at lunch. "What did he say?"

He peeked a glance at me through strands of orange hair, "He said that… he once wished you would look at him the way you look at me."

I felt my cheeks start to burn and I looked away as the blush overcame my face. Haru has always been an observant one, but not nearly to the extent that I had given him credit for.

"Did he say anything else?"

There was silence, so I looked back at Kyo. He had that look on his face again.

"No."

I could tell right there that he wasn't being honest with me. I brushed it off; I didn't feel like prying it out of him. If he wanted to tell me, he will. I would just have to wait, but I could still feel the immense urge to read his mind, to know what was making him act so strange.

Kyo put the heel of his hand to his forehead, "Dammit- it's just, the way he said it, I couldn't deny it. I tried to but I couldn't bring myself to."

"They were going to find out sometime, Kyo." I reassured him, "I don't want to have to keep this secret,"

He looked at me with a startled look, "You mean, you're alright with it? With people knowing?"  
I was taken aback- I felt fear shoot through my veins, "What do you mean?" I knew it… he didn't want people to know that he liked me…

"You're not... ashamed of me?"

If I was taken aback before, I was stumbling off cliffs now. "What?"

He sighed, "You're the damn prince… and I'm just the stupid Cat- wont that lower your social status a few notches?"

I felt a familiar feeling start to bubble inside of me, and I felt a laugh erupt from me, "That has got to be the first time I have ever seen you act insecure!" I felt my smile against my cheeks, "And over such a stupid reason!"

His expression turned defensive, "That is _not_ a stupid reason, and I am _not_ being insecure!"

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Oh, are you just nervous at the fact that if everyone knew, we could 'publicly display our affection'?"

I saw Kyo put on a face of disgust at the word 'affection' and clench his fists, "NO!"

I chuckled at his weak answer, "Well, how about we try it out?"  
I grabbed Kyo by the shirt and pulled his chest up against mine, he looked startled and I felt his hands automatically go to my hips to push me back, but I slid my hands into his messy orange hair and pressed my moist, hungry lips gently against his.

I pulled back and looked at him, his hands still firm on my hips. He still seemed to be in shock, and he stared back at me. I licked my lips, "C'mon, Kyo, you can do better then that." I brought his face back to mine and ran my tongue along his bottom lip, adoring how he shuttered against my body. I captured his upper lip in-between mine and nibbled at it playfully. I ran one of my hands away from his soft, messy hair, and dragged my nails along his jaw line… I felt him breathe in a shaky breath and I started to feel his hands drag themselves to the small of my back before drawing me closer to him.

His reaction gave me more confidence, and I rolled my cool lips against his warm, moist ones- I felt so stimulated by making the first move for once, and I tangled my hand into his hair more as my lips caressed themselves against his.

Kyo finally stopped being such a shy tight-ass and started to move his warm lips against mine, sending static electricity through me. My heart started to flutter inside of my rib cage, and my blood started to boil as I felt his hands on the small of back, and his chest pressed flush against mine. I could feel his heart racing, and I would've blushed if I weren't already.

"Mmm…" Kyo captured my bottom lip with his and sucked at it, my hand going to the back of his neck to bring him closer to me. His hot tongue was dragging across my lips again and I felt myself shutter. He rolled his lips against mine, and I opened my mouth obediently to welcome his hot, wet tongue inside of my mouth the way he had so often...

The feeling, taste, was familiar, but the way it impacted me it might as well have been the first time. I breathed in a shaky breath as I felt his tongue run over mine before dragging itself alone the roof of my wet mouth. I pushed my tongue against his and I felt him moan more then heard it as it vibrated through his chest and against my ribcage.

I was starting to lose myself in his touch...

(Tohru's POV)

"Thank you very much!" I smiled at my clerk, and gathered the bags in my hands. They were so heavy for me, I had to put all my strength into carrying them past the automatic doors- but when I had, I noticed that everyone outside seemed to be staring at something-

"Oh my god, that is _so_ hot-"

"Is that a boy or a girl he's kissing?"

"They're both so beautiful-"

"Where's the camera- take a picture!"

Then I noticed Kyo and Yuki standing in the middle of the sidewalk… I would've thought they were fighting again, if it weren't for the fact that their bodies were intertwining together and Kyo's tongue seemed to be inside Yuki's mouth…

I felt my heart flutter in panic- _w-w-what's going on??_

The grocery bags in my hands were getting impressively heavy, and I sent them down before I dropped them from my sudden lack of strength.

_Is Kyo kissing Yuki??_

"U-u-uhhh…" I felt myself start to shake nervously, _Oh no, what do I do? What do I do?_

I chewed at my lip and looked around feverishly- _Kyo's kissing Yuki- Kyo's kissing Yuki-_

"A-at least they're not fi-fighting…" I tried to reassure myself- but the way Kyo's mouth was against Yuki's looked pretty aggressive…

I barely noticed the cashier from the store walk past me until he was approaching Kyo and Yuki. I saw him tap Kyo on the shoulder- who looked completely startled as if he didn't even know there were people around them- and said words I didn't catch. I saw Kyo's face turn red and Yuki was blushing as he looked around.

Then Yuki's eyes fell onto me.

-**End-**

**AN-** Please **!Review!** that was the first time I've done a POV that wasn't Yuki or Kyo- and I hope I did alright with Tohru.  
Thank you fer reading, I will keep up with the updates, please review, and I hope you liked it.


	24. Chapter 24

**AN**: taah thank you all for reviewing the last chapter!

Pandora Darkheart _yes yes_ you can translate this story! Thank you for asking for my permission, and thank you for reading for so long- I'm a bit amazed how you could've read all twenty three chapter without finding something to point out- But thank you vary much for reviewing- now I'm getting all suspiciouse of how many other sneaky poeple there are reading my story who I dont know about...

to those sneaky people- I'm not sure if you like this because you dont review- But I'm gonna be confident, and assume that you still enjoy it anyways!  
here is chapter twenty four!! _oh me gads I'm on hotwheels--_

_**Chapter Twenty Four**_

(Kyo's POV)

Yuki's delicious breath was filling my head like thick smoke, and I began to lose myself in the luscious taste of his mouth as I explored it eagerly with my hot tongue. His slender body was pressed so close to mine that I could feel the flutter of his heart, and I didn't doubt that he could feel the pounding coming from mine. My hands couldn't touch enough of him, my tongue couldn't taste enough of him, my ears couldn't hear enough noises from him, I was getting excited and I could feel my blood rushing throughout my body like hot liquid lava...

I felt a tap on my shoulder and my body seized up and tensed at the unwelcoming touch, I pushed myself away from Yuki and looked up to see a lanky man around his thirties with a hooked nose and limp blonde hair look down at me scornfully, "There is no loitering around this premises- and PDA is prohibited."

I felt my face begin to burn- I had _completely_ forgotten that we were in a public place- I got so wrapped up in Yuki the moment he had pressed his lips against mine...

As I looked around I noticed that the public place we were in… was _very_ public. Every single person surrounding us was watching us intently, and I looked over to Yuki to see him blushing as well. Then I felt him move away from my hands and towards the grocery store…

I looked past the store clerk and saw Tohru.

Something inside of me dropped and landed with a 'clunk' at the pit of my stomach.

_Oh… shit…_

I saw Tohru looking down at the ground, the hands she had folded in front of her were shaking and her face was also a deep crimson as I watched her mouth move rapidly, no doubt spewing off some none-sense to Yuki as he spoke to her gently.

I marched over to them and snatched up two grocery bags, "Way to break it to her gently," I barked at Yuki. He grabbed the other two bags, "I didn't see you pulling back."

I glared at everyone around us and then back to Tohru whose head was bowed- not a word coming from her. "Are you coming or what?"

I saw her nod her head and I started to march my way along the sidewalk- Yuki easily keeping a graceful step in time with me, and Tohru trotting behind us. I was fuming- I was fuming because I was so goddamn embarrassed.

"Please pardon our behaviour, Honda-San…" Yuki said it sincerely as I sneered at everyone who passed me.

"I'll do my own pardoning!" I growled. I wasn't exactly mad at Yuki- I was just so goddamn mad at this whole goddamn situation. I was especially mad at that damn clerk! Didn't he have apples to inspect or something?

"N-no pl-please don't apologize, I'm happy that you two weren't fi-fighting…"

I looked over my shoulder to see her with her face still to the ground, her hands folded tightly and shaking.

"What the hell are you doing?" I barked, she shot up to look at me, "We aren't gonna be doing that again, so don't act so damn bothered!"

"I think this is a bit out of the blue, Kyo, please go gentle on her."  
I snapped my face to Yuki, "Don't tell me what to do!"

Yuki looked over to me with insisting eyes, "You're not the only one affected by this, Kyo."  
I let out a guttural growl and kept my face turned in the direction we were going, grumbling at myself the whole way home.

(Shigure's POV)

I tapped the side of my burning cigarette against the ashtray before drawing it back up to my lips. I sucked in a deep breath, feeling the addicting nicotine fill my lungs, and I parted my lips to let out a gust of smoke.

"I know you agree with me, Hatori." I looked across the table and to the man who was sitting with his leg crossed over his knee. He didn't look at me; he only dragged in a breath from his own cigarette.

"After all, you can't deny it when you were in one of the situation's can you?" I felt a sly grin spread over my face.

Hatori looked over to me through slated eyes, "I wont be agreeing to anything unless I hear it from those two." He tapped his cigarette over the ashtray, "You always assume, Shigure. It will someday come back to you with scathing claws."

I agreed with him. But I wouldn't be admitting that right now. "I wonder what Akito will do once he finds out."

Hatori looked up at me with disapproving eyes, "Why do you pleasure in such tragic drama's? Especially of those whose lives are so closely entangled to yours?"

I looked down at my burning cigarette, a faint line of smoke ghosting from its end. "I do not pleasure in them, my dear friend. I am an author, and we live these stories, we create them in our minds." I peered up at Hatori's cynical look, "When we are a witness to such dramatic tragedies that we didn't create… whose to scold us for finding entertainment in those we entertain?"

"There is nothing entertaining about anticipating such sick circumstances." Hatori's eyes were harsh and cold as they studied me.

I put the cigarette to my lips, "Dear Hatori." I felt a small smirk tug at the corners of my lips, "I am a sick man." I let the harsh nicotine fill up my lungs.

(Yuki's POV)

I swung the bag upwards and felt it collide with the back of Kyo's head- he stumbled forward, and then whipped around to me- "WADDA HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

"Stop mumbling, you're giving me a headache." I strolled past him, further along the dirt path aligned with trees.

"_YOU'RE_ giving _ME_ the head-ache!" He said, rubbing at his head where I had hit him.

"Don't worry, you're skull is too thick to damage." I looked at him over my shoulder, "But I'll apologise if I killed a few of your brain cells. I know how low you're getting on them."

I turned away after seeing his hair begin to stick up- and I looked over to Tohru's confused and concerned face, "Don't worry, Ms. Honda, he's much less aggressive towards me now-"

_BAM!!_

I stumbled forward after feeling the aching impact of something colliding with the back of my head, I whipped around and saw the Cat glowering at me, "Don't you start thinking you got me tamed just cuz I let you kiss me in public, you damn rat!" he barked.

I straightened up, "In case you didn't notice, _you_ also had _your_ tongue in my mouth!"

"YOU WANNA FIGHT?" Kyo dropped the bags and went into an aggressive stance, "I'LL KICK YOU'RE ASS!"

"No!" Just as Kyo was lunging towards me, I saw Tohru jumped out and collide with Kyo's body- and then I was blinded the smoke that appeared in the air.

"You're not very good at this whole 'ass-kicking' thing of yours, are you?" I said in exasperation to the orange cat that was being squished under Tohru's small body. She sat up immediately, and covered her mouth with her hand-

"Oh no, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-" she buried her face in her hands.

Kyo looked really put-off, still lying there on the ground. I sighed, "It's alright, Tohru, please don't apologize." I dropped the grocery bags I was carrying, and reached down to grab a fistful of his fur to lift him up.

"PUT ME DOWN!" His feline teeth were sharp, but an empty threat to me as he twisted about in the air under my grasp.

I rolled my eyes and picked up the grocery bags Kyo had dropped with my free hand, sliding them down to my elbow, "Ms. Honda, would you be so kind to carry Kyo's clothing?"

She was blushing, obviously completely overwhelmed by everything happening between me and the feline in my grasp. I went back to my grocery bags and picked them up- carrying four bags on my forearm.

"It's not fun being carried around by your damn _fur_ I hope you know!" Kyo snapped. I swung him up and onto my chest- where he clung at my shirt with his claws, "GAH! I meant, put me down!"

I held him against me with my free hand- his fur was so soft and it tickled at the palm of my hand. I felt his claws dig into my chest, but I ignored it since it was only a sharp sting.

"U-u-uhm, are you sure you can carry all of those, Yuki-san?" Tohru fell into step with me. I gave her a reassuring smile-

"Please, allow me to carry them. This whole afternoon hasn't been very relaxing for you." I felt the bags weigh down my arm, and I tried to hold it up with unnoticeable effort. Apparently I was doing a good job because she just nodded and walked along with me.

"Gwah!" I felt Kyo's grip slip, and soon felt his sharp claws at my shoulder. I flinched from it, but otherwise ignored him.

"You better let me down before I transfor-"

Suddenly my vision was blinded by smoke, and the lightweight of Kyo's feline form suddenly was replaced by immense heaviness, and instead of soft fur, my hand was pressed against bare, warm skin…

Tohru had already let out a squeal, and was hiding somewhere- but I was completely frozen with Kyo's naked body against mine. His hands hadn't let go of their grasp on the front of my shirt, and I felt my face start to burn as if it were lit on fire. My heart was racing; it was jumping up into my throat- stopping me from swallowing or even speaking. I tried not to move the hand I had on the small of his bare, warm, back, and not to think about his hot, warm breath against my ear…

I felt his hand let go of the grip it had on my shirt, and felt him slide it over my eyes as a simple gesture telling me not to look.

I slowly slid my eyelids closed under his palm as I felt his body move against mine- when he did so, the hand I had at the small of his back was dragging against his hot skin until he moved away from it's touch.

I felt his warm hand leave my face, but I kept my eyes shut- I could hear the bags on my arm shake and I tried to hold them steady now that my other hand was free- but my heart was racing, pounding in a fluttering way inside my head…

I heard rustling as Kyo started to dress, barely registering Tohru's on going apologies, and I tried my hardest not to picture what I would see if my eyes were open…

Suddenly I felt weight lift off of my forearm- "C'mon, let's go."

I tried to open my eyes, but they stayed reluctantly shut. I pulled in a breath, concentrated on sliding my eyelids, and slowly the world came back into view.

Kyo was a few steps away, and counting, while Tohru started after him. I tried to calm myself down, and to get rid of the blush that was no doubt still very evidential.

I forced my legs forward, and after a few of them it started to come without as much effort.

"What the hell do you have in these bags, anyway?" I heard Kyo ask Tohru, who looked a bit flustered for a few seconds. I heard Tohru answer his question in a lengthy reply, but I couldn't make out her words, I was starting to feel a bit light-headed as my pulse began to slow back down to normal.

I concentrated on calming myself, getting a clear head, and once I did I fell back in step beside Tohru. All three of us made our way back to the house, the sun beating down on us.

**-End-**

**AN-** and so we have Shigure's POV introduced. He's so outragously hilariouse-- but when it all comes down to it- I love how twisted he is, it sends chills up my spine whenever I read the manga. anywhat and is, I had to have Kyo change into a Cat. I love his cat form- pahk, so review! tell me what you think!  
I've managed to squeeze this in between my summer schooling- I'm actually pretty confident I can keep updating daily- and since so many people are reading this (and like it, from the reviews!) I dont want to keep you waiting too long.  
Why do my AN's always end up being in paragraphs...

please review!


	25. Chapter 25

**AN-** thank you everyone who has reviewed- I promise this one is less embarrassing then the previouse chapter! Fruits Baskets is not mine,  
Please read, enjoy, and review!

_**Chapter Twenty Five**_

(Yuki's POV)

I lowered myself onto the soft grass and eagerly reached for the bowl Tohru had outstretched towards me- "Thank you, Miss Honda."

She gave me a shy smiled, "You're welcome," and turned back to Hanajima and Arisa who enthusiastically engaged in a conversation with her. I supposed that she was still a bit taken aback at discovering the relationship that Kyo and I seemed to have developed behind the scenes… but she appeared to be taking it more easily now.

I enjoyed the warm sun that was glorifying itself on my skin- however, it wasn't as warm out as I would have liked, for the clouds were blocking the sun from spreading its heat throughout the school grounds.

I felt something nudge at my side, and I looked over to see Haru looking at me with expecting eyes. I looked back at him a little confused- but when he said nothing I turned back to my meal just to have him poke me again-

"What is it, Haru?" I said with a sigh. He tilted his head to the side and examined me. I hope he got this over quickly since I was quite hungry.

"So the Cat's out of the bag." He said with a monotone voice.

"Unfortunately." I looked over to Kyo who was trying to unscrew a seemingly difficult bottle cap. "I'd offer to help but I think he would just try knocking it against my head or something."

I looked back over to Haru to see him roll over onto his back, "Not what I meant, Yuki." He reached up and tapped my nose, "-So Tohru knows, hmm?"

"She told you?!" I was a bit surprised- Tohru was exceptionally good at keeping secrets, and I didn't have the faintest idea why she would have told Haru about it- even though he already knows, according to Kyo, it was still a shock to hear that Tohru would have said anything.

But Haru shook his head, "It's a bit obvious. She's been staring back and forth between you two like you're gonna suddenly start making out at any moment."

I placed my chin in my hand, "Well… I guess that makes sense… after all, that is how she found out…"

Haru flipped back over onto his stomach and cocked his head to the side, insisting me to continue.

"I was just playing around with him- I kinda started to kiss him in front of the grocery store… then I sort of forgot where we were…" I said it quietly, feeling my cheeks blush pink.

"…You?"

I looked over to Haru to see him looking at me with a slightly sceptical reason, "My, my, Yuki- I wouldn't have thought of you to be one to show Public Displays of Affection."

"I'm not, it just happe-"

"DAMMIT, WHAT THE _HELL!" _Kyo shot up and throw the water bottle high into the air with blurring speed from his frustration- the whole school grounds went absolutely silent as every student watched the water bottle reached an impossible height in slow motion until gravity came into effect and had the water bottle soaring downward until…

_-Clunk-_

The water bottle hit Kyo square in the head, and he fell to the ground, the bottle cap popping off and water spewing all over him.

I looked at him in disbelief… an eyebrow unconsciously raised in astonishment at his ridiculous behaviour.

"… So you make out with him in public- but you wouldn't even hold my hand when I declared my love for you?" Haru said in a dull, incredulous voice.

I couldn't look away from the sputtering Kyo who was in absolute shock for some reason as numerous cheers from far away students erupted around us.

"It's a part of his… charm." I said absent-mindedly.

"That's some pretty crazy charm going on there." Haru muttered as Kyo shook himself dry.

(Kyo's POV)

I brought my forehead down on my desk with a faint 'thud'. The class was dragging, and I was getting restless. These people seriously bored the hell out of me. I slouched in my chair and rested my head onto the back of it. I was already pretty agitated from soaking myself with that damn water bottle (which I pulverized afterwards) and sitting in an uncomfortable wooden chair didn't seem to help me relax very well.

I glanced up at the clock in tired hopefulness and noticed that I barely had a minute left in this dreary class. I ruffled my hair and pushed myself out of my seat, making my way through the numerous amounts of desks and students until I reached the door.

"Kyo-Kun, you can't leave, school's not ove-" Whoever had the nerve to talk to me was cut off by the school bell just as I walked over the threshold of the classroom, rolling my eyes. I made my way down the hall avoiding eye contact with anyone. I didn't like these people, all of these people… I hated them, I hated all of them.

I didn't want one damn thing to do with any of them.

I shoved my fists into my pockets and kept my head down as I walked through the halls. I blocked out the noise, the irritating sound of wet lips forming words, and the annoying laughter that echoed through the halls.

Then suddenly I felt something bump into my back- I turned around sharply and saw Momiji smiling up at me, "Hello Kyo!"

I whacked him over the head, "Don't go around bumping into people, you stupid rabbit!" I snapped, "You'll get us all in trouble!"

Momiji let out a long sob, "Don't hit me!" He rubbed at his head.

"Don't give me a reason to!" I barked- then I felt a gentle hand place itself on my shoulder and I felt my skin tingle at the feeling.

I glanced back and saw Yuki beside me, keeping his hand on me, looking down at that damn idiotic rabbit, "Momiji, Kyo has a point. You should pay more attention to where you're going."

"But he hit me!" Momiji sobbed. I cringed at the hideous noises he was making- and I had to scrunch up my shoulders in effort to keep myself from hitting him again.

"You have to promise me not to walk around so carelessly." Yuki reached out, placed a hand on Momiji's cheek before bending down to his eye level, "You have to be more careful…"  
I lost my concentration on Yuki's words and involuntarily focused on his voice and how his hand was against Momiji's cheek- I felt myself flare, and an odd sensation rampaged through me… I wanted to push that stupid rabbit out of Yuki's touch- he was being a damn baby, and yet it seemed he got more occasional touches from Yuki then I seemed to get.

I grabbed at Yuki's wrist and pulled him away from Momiji, "Will you walk home with me?" I asked suddenly with a stubborn voice.

He looked startled- and I saw a faint tint of pink light his cheeks.

"Can I come too?!" Momiji piped up from beside us.

I quickly smacked him over the head again, "Shut up! I'm not asking you! Don't go inviting yourself places, you damn rabbit!"

"Momiji, Miss Honda should be in her homeroom- I'm sure she would love for you to spend some time with her." Yuki suggested, easily delaying the tears that were soaking into Momiji's eyes. He suddenly lit up, and gave Yuki a big smile, "Oh Tohru! I haven't seen her for so long!"

"You saw her at lunch!" I flared- but Momiji was already walking backwards rather quickly, waving at us: "Bye!"

"Dammit, Rabbit, Watch where you going!" I roared across the hall- but Momiji just gave me a smile and ran off amongst all the students whose focus was on Yuki and I due to my outburst.

I didn't realise that I still had Yuki's wrist in a possessive grasp until he slipped out of it to walk in the opposite direction for the front doors. He glanced at me over his shoulder, "Are you walking with me or not?"

I looked away and sneered at the thought of that damn rabbit before falling into step with Yuki. I shoved my hands into my pockets stubbornly and walked with him down the hall- and we barely got anywhere until those damn fan-girls started to flock around us.

"Prince Yuki!" A girl shoved her face right up into Yuki's making him jerk back suddenly in shock, his hands held up out of reflex, "I made you a paper flower last class and I want to give it you!"

Just as quick a blonde girl with loose piggy tails pushed her out of the way, "Mine's better! She only spent fifteen minutes on hers, I spent a half an hour!"

I stared at them in disbelief… half of a damn hour on one stupid paper flower??

"U-uhm…" Yuki was clearly over-whelmed, and I felt my rage metre start to reach a very dangerous point- I could almost hear the steam rising inside of my head, my blood thicken with agitation- I can't believe I got jealous of Momiji, these guys were absolutely-

"Please take mine!"

"No, take mine!"

"Mine are prettier!"

"Mine has a picture of you and me in the middle!"

Suddenly I let out a frustrated roar, shoved them all backwards, knocking all of their damn ugly paper flowers onto the ground, "LEAVE HIM THE HELL ALONE!"

I grabbed Yuki's delicate wrist again and pulled me behind me as I marched my way to the doors, fuming. When we got to the doors, I pushed them open and dropped Yuki's wrist. After a few moments of put-off strutting I started to slow down, Yuki still managing to keep up with me at a graceful pace. I concentrated on taking breaths, murmuring unintelligent things about his damn fangirls until I felt like I had finally blown off enough steam.

I began to feel myself calm down for the first time all day- and I realised this was pretty much the first time I've been alone with Yuki since we were standing outside of the grocery store.

I let out a sigh. Everything seemed to be three times more intense since I've accepted the fact that I like Yuki… and it has not helped my anger issues one bit either.

"You shouldn't be so harsh on Momiji." Yuki mused.

I glanced over to him, "He deserved it, stumbling around like that, it's a fricken miracle Hatori hasn't been making rounds around our school yet."

"I wasn't talking about hitting him… but you shouldn't do that either." Yuki looked over to me and gave me a small smile, "I had a suspicion that you might be a bit territorial."

I felt my face burn- but glared none-the-less, "I'm not territorial- I just don't wanna be around that stupid kid." I muttered defensively to Yuki, who had a small smile on his face-

"Really, Kyo, it was _Momiji_-" He said with his smile in his voice, obviously amused.

"So?" I said in defence, "That kid is twisted! You've seen how he gets with Tohru!"

"You shouldn't be so harsh with those girls either."

"WHA?" I stopped in my tracks, "You're taking THEIR side?! THEY'RE CRAZY!"

I didn't believe this! He liked it! I KNEW IT! I knew he liked it! That damn rat, what a sneaky little son of bi-

"I'm not taking anyone's side- I just think it could've been taken care of without making them all cry." He said, a few steps away from me. "You know, I don't like it anymore then you do."

"Ha, if that were true they'd all be the Kill-Yuki club instead of whatever dorky name it is now." I walked forward, "They're total idiots, drooling all over you like that."

"You're one to talk."

I spun around, heat flaring at my cheeks and was about to yell my lungs out in my defence if I hadn't felt his delicate fingers push themselves over my lips, and he gave me a calm look, "I was only joking."

Then I began to feel his fingers brush along my cheekbone, the skin he touched tingled with a burning sensation until his hand came to a rest at the base of my neck, sending shivers cascading down my spine as he pulled my face closer to his…

"I would rather you not resort to violence all the time, though." He said in a quiet voice.

He gave me a small smile- and I felt so captivated by his nearness… I felt him make a move to keep walking further, but before I could realise what I was doing I felt my arm wrap itself around his slender waist to keep him from going any further from me.

I felt my body naturally move as close to him as I could get, and I slid my other hand onto his delicate neck before closing the space between us and pressing my warm lips against his…

All right, wait, wait, wait… I didn't want to wait, but this wasn't the time to let myself get carried away. I pulled back reluctantly from Yuki before he could respond and I watched his violet eyes glimmer.

I bit my lip and turned away from him- I really needed to stop doing that… I moved myself away from him and started to take a few more steps down the path when I felt Yuki's slender hand enclose around mine- but I ignored him apart from how my heart fluttered ever so slightly.

Then he ghosted his body in front of mine and let go of my wrist so he could ran his hands through my orange hair- sending electricity coursing through my veins before he pressed his own lovely soft lips gently against mine…

It sent sparks throughout my body, filling my veins with fuel, and making my heart ecstatic…

I leaned into him unconsciously- so when he pulled back I stumbled forward a bit. He gave me a slight grin at my feeble lack of balance before he turned to walk further along the path. I took a moment to start up my heart again before I caught up with him.

"So am I still your archenemy or has that water bottle taken my place?" Yuki said conversationally, the slightest ghost of his grin still there.

"Don't flatter yourself." I grumbled, feeling a small blush tint my cheeks. I glanced behind me, "Anyways- I haven't talked to Tohru much, do you know how she's… you know…" I looked over at him trying to find the answer on his face.

"I'm not sure. She seems a little more shy then usual, but other then that I don't think anything much has changed." Yuki said with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Ah, if she's gonna whine about it, it's not my problem." I looked in the other direction… she'd get used to it, right? I swallowed. Hell, even I was still a bit taken aback whenever Yuki would touch me the way he just did… I peeked over to him through the strands of my orange hair… Would I ever get used to being with him the way I am now?

"Honda-san isn't one to whine." Yuki said warmly. "I don't want to be getting my hopes up… but knowing Miss Honda she'll accept every piece of us."

I skidded my shoe across the dirt, "Yeah…"

I was glad that only Tohru and Haru seemed to know right now- I didn't want to think what it would have been like if everyone knew at once. All those reactions would've driven me off a damn cliff… and I didn't even want to start thinking how all of Yuki's creepy fan girls would take it…

I shoved my hands on my hips, "Well, I don't care what anyone thinks!"

Yuki looked over to me, a little bit startled by my outburst.

"I like you, and that's that." I said stubbornly, "And anyone who thinks they have the right to get involved, they can just go to hell!"

I peeked over to Yuki despite myself and saw him biting back a small, shy smile as a blush tinted his cheeks- his eyes glued to the ground until he swiftly composed himself and shook his bangs out of his angelic face, "How about we don't start the apocalypse anytime soon." He looked over to me, his face composed, a gentle teasing smile tugging at his lips.

But I could still see the blush in his eyes that ignited mine.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** I love Momiji... anyways, Kyo had gotten one of those new water bottles where the factories were like "oh man, lets make one bottle cap so tight that it'll only come off if someone throws it up twenty stories in the air." I've gotten one of those... tah- but I do know how difficult it is to throw something up in the air, stand completely still, and the object hit you in the head. You gotta throw it a certain way... I guess it just came naturally to Kyo at the spur of the moment.  
Please **!Review!** I did alot of adjusting in this chappie and I'm still not too certain about it... anyways, you're opinions really matter to me- any suggestion, comments, remarks, observations- and compliments (yes those too!) are much appreciated! I love hearing what you think of this story...  
Thank you for reading-


	26. Chapter 26

**AN**- I dont own Fruits Baskets. Please enjoy:

_**Chapter Twenty Six**_

(Yuki's POV)

I swallowed my food before answering Tohru's question, "My Student Council will probably take place after school everyday for a while now since we have so much work to catch up on, so you wont need to wait up for me."

Tohru nodded, "I just hope you will be able to relax this summer," She said gently. I gave her an appreciating smile. It had been a bit of an exhausting day, and her kindness defininetly helped my day. "I'll see if Kyo will walk home with me-"  
We both looked over to Kyo expectantly, who had an indifferent look on his face- "I don't care... just don't bring along that damn Yankee, she keeps pissing me off."

I shared a glance with Tohru- Arisa had been crawling all over Kyo's back ever since she heard about how he and I were... on a more friendly base. I guess that was pretty good though, because it had Tohru defending us (in that panicked way of hers) and while so she became more accustomed to the idea. I was really glad she was still the same- with the occasional nervous glance between us when something seemed to flow through the air.

"You know she means no harm, she's really a nice person," Tohru reassured him, "But I dont walk with her after school unless we have plans, so you don't have to worry!"

I placed down my bowl and looked at Kyo- and at the same time Kyo glanced over to me through the corner of his eye.

"Oh, she's not that bad!" Shigure flapped his hand, "She's a little bit aggressive and violent, but nothing Kyo can't handle, I'm sure!"

We finished our supper, and I was quite aware of the consistant glances Shigure seemed to be trying to sneak in between Kyo and I, but I only brushed it off. I helped Tohru bring the dishes into the kitchen to clean, and she told me about the time she and Momiji spent together and her work while I scrubbed the dishes underneath the soapy water... I've appreciated how easily it is to clean up since I had the bandage on my wrist removed after the bites Kyo had given me healed... it seemed like yesterday, but at the same time it felt like years...

I let my thoughts slip through my mind like the soap slipped along the wet plates.

I dried them all off, and after thanking Tohru for a lovely dinner, I disembarked to the washroom to take my long awaited bath. I had the water run warm so it would loosen the tension within my shoulders without much effort, and soon I was nearly drifting asleep in the relaxing wamrth... But when I started to feel a bit nauseous from it, I lifted myself out of the water and dried off quickly.

I couldn't fall asleep now, I still had my homework to finish- so I made my way to my room, closing the door silently behind me, and seated myself at my desk, the stack of papers and textbooks eagerly waiting to consume my valuable energy. I had been so distracted by Kyo and all my racing thoughts for the last month that my homework had unresponsibly been pushed to the side at my lack of concentration.

I wasn't quite sure how long I had stayed up trying to finish it, and I'm not sure how much I got done, but my eyes began to droop heavily and I couldn't stop myself from letting my forehead rest ontop of my homework after a while. I shook myself awake before lifting my tired body out of the chair and letting my body slump into the softness of my bed.

So here I am, exhausted, worn, laying awake on my soft bed that didn't give me the warmth I was wanting. The past three days had gone by nearly exactly like this one had: get up, school, dodge fan girls, lunch, classes, dodge fan girls, Student Council, home, dinner, clean, bath, homework- and finally sleep... before getting up again.

Each day only involved Kyo when we were surrounded by people and friends... and even though they all knew and I had every reason to be near him the way I wanted- I didn't. Whenever I was, I tended to lose my sense of reality... that's why I haven't attempted to acknowledge him very much infront of people since the Grocery Store incident- I thought I would be able to keep myself in control more if I knew other people where around... but I just lost my head like every other time.

And so, for that reason- the only interaction I have had with Kyo was the occasional glance, the sneaked look, the subtle gaze.

Although it has only been three days of this routine, it still seemed like an agonizingly long time to go without actually being with him.

I was contemplating lifting myself out of my bed and going to his room right now, actually… but how would that look? And I was already so exhausted; I could barely keep myself conscience just lying here.

And with that final thought, I drifted off to sleep until the morning sun invaded my room.

(Kyo's POV)

A Ruler slammed onto my desk and I jumped up with an odd noise. I looked up to see my teacher glaring at me.

"Pay attention, Mr. Sohma."

I felt my eye twitch at being formally addressed- but she was already down three desks ranting about whatever the hell teacher's rant about before I could throw back anything.

Something hit me in the head and I let out another noise, but everyone ignored it this time. I rubbed at the spot where the item hit and looked over to who threw it- and was greeted by violet eyes,

"Beka Neko, don't give me a bad name."

I glared at Yuki, "No one could scar _your_ name, _Prince_." I shot.

"You're testing it pretty diligently, aren't you?"

I didn't reply. I was feeling very stubborn and defensive at how he seemed to be ignoring me for the past three days… at first I had gotten a bit nervous about the whole thing- maybe he was a bit offended by how I reacted with Momiji and the fangirls... but that was his problem, not mine! Now I was just getting pissed of. He stays clear from me for three days, and then he decides to instigate me in the middle of a goddamn _classroom?_

I gave him an intense sneer, and turned away. I noticed a pencil on my desk- He hit me with a pencil.

Classic, Yuki.

I picked the pencil up and begin to twirl it around in my fingers, too bored to concentrate on the teacher, and too angry with myself to look over at Yuki. If he could ignore me, then _I_ can ignore _him_.

I felt something kick my chair and I looked over, agitated, at Yuki.

"What?" I hissed.

"Give me back my pencil," He said in an obvious tone. I twirled it impressively amongst my fingers,

"Nope." I popped the word out of my mouth, over-exaggerating the "p" in it.

"Don't make me come over there."

Over where? If he reached across he could dig his nails into my forearm, no effort in. I put the pencil in between my teeth and smiled in an instigating way at him.

"That's disgusting, cat, get it out of your mouth."  
Hah. Disgusting? Did he want me to recite how many times I had my tongue in his mouth? He didn't seem to mind my saliva then.

"Nuh-uh," I pushed at one end with my tongue so only the eraser end was in my mouth, "You srew i' a' me, iss mine."

He tilted his head slightly with a smirk on his face. He placed his elegant hand on the side of his seat to balance him as he leaned across the space in-between our desks--

He was coming awfully close and I was getting feverishly nervous, I definitely didn't expect him to do anything like this in the class room-

He was close enough that I could smell that sweet, luscious smell of his that sent my blood of fire, when he parted his mouth and gently brought down his white, straight teeth on the lead-end of the pencil.

The whole world _stopped._

He looked totally at ease, pleased by himself, even- whereas I could feel the shock plainly on my face. This was the closest we have been to each other for three whole days and I could feel my heart start to flutter as his sweet, sweet smell started to fog itself into my mind…

He started to pull back, not releasing his bite on the pencil, and I felt it slide out of mine.

He relaxed back into his seat, put his long pale fingers around the pencil and slid it out of his mouth with that same smirk on his face before returning his attention to the front where the teacher was.

I was still in shock.

I could feel eyes on me, on _us_, I had no doubt that our side of the classroom was watching our little… transport… so I snapped my head back to the front as well, trying my hardest to keep my blush down.

Dammit dammit _dammit!_

That was not fair!

I felt myself start to fume, and rage was building up in me-why that goddamn rat—

My hands were clenched into fists and my teeth were drilling together. You would've thought that all the rage inside of me would have stopped all the butterflies in my stomach from fluttering like mad…

I can't _stand_ this! Being so damn close to him- but so disgustingly far away- I've been trying to avoid his presence the whole time, knowing something like this would over-come me, and now I'm hyper-aware of how he was only an arms length away…

Then I heard the bell, it seared into my ear and tore through all my thoughts. I pushed myself up-

I had so much building up over Yuki from the past three days- and I was _not_ going to allow myself to let it out in this stupid classroom… So I turned away from him and left the classroom before I did anything stupid.

I made my way to the last class I had before lunch, in which I spent most of my time trying to calm myself down. This was stupid and aggravating, if he thinks that he can ignore me for this long without giving me one stupid excuse, he had another thing coming to him.

I was feeling a bit better being in a room without Yuki, I found that I could start breathing effortlessly if I kept him out of my mind.

After the class had ended and I was strolling in the hall when I caught sight of Haru making his way up to me. I really didn't feel like talking to anyone, I was in such a putout mood, but Haru still reached me no matter how much I mentally wished him away.

Suddenly I felt something hit my chest, and looked down to see a water bottle against me in Haru's grasp. I raised an eyebrow at him, "The hell is that for?"

"You look like you need to cool off- I can see the steam coming out of your hair... dont worry, I unscrewed it for you."

"Good morning Kyo!" Momiji jumped out from behind Haru and I jumped back, startled as to how I hadn't noticed him before-

"Dammit, you stupid kid, don't go popping up all over the place!" I snatched the water bottle from Haru's still outstretched grasp, unscrewed the lid, and tipped the bottle to my mouth as I made my way to the entrance doors.

I heard Momiji pipe up a conversation eagerly with Haru, but I ignored both of them as I shoved the door open and was welcomed by a warm breeze and comforting heat of the air. Catching sight of Tohru, Wave girl, and the Yankee, I made my way over to them.

I lifted the bottle to my mouth again and drank the cool water, feeling it slip down my throat effortlessly until there was not one drop left.

"I bet Kyo didn't know that!" Momiji said enthusiastically.

"There is not a lot that Kyo knows." Haru said solemnly, and I turned around and whipped my empty water bottle at him and stormed my way to Tohru- who, on noticing my approach, looked completely panicked at my fuming state. I dropped myself down on the ground and shoved my arms across my chest stubbornly.

"K-Kyo, are you alright?" I heard her say uncertainly.

"Fine." I grunted, looking away from them all.

If I hadn't had such awesome good hearing, I wouldn't have caught Momiji's whisper- "Kyo's in a bad mood cuz Yuki hasn't talked to him lately-" I whipped around in shock-

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT IDEA?"

Momiji looked a little startled, but gave me a smile, "Haru told me that you and Yuki are-"  
Momiji didn't finish because I had lunged towards him and had my hand sealed over his.  
I was in complete shock- but after that settled in, I shot a death glare at Haru stabbing him with my eyes, "WHAT THE HELL, HARU?"

"Calm down, stop acting like it's a big secret."

I was surprised to hear a female voice that _wasn't_ Tohru's saying that and I glanced weakly over to see that damn Yankee looking at me with her eyebrow raised.  
I felt a massively embarrassing blush over come my face, and my throat suddenly became so thick that it was hard to swallow, let alone breathe, and I didn't speak in fear that my voice would crack.

So I just sat there- my body stretched over the grass with my hand over Momiji's mouth, cheeks crimson red, eyes bulged out like a stupid owl…

But the thing that pissed me off was that Yuki wasn't the one who had to endure this…

It was me. ME, DAMMIT, WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE _ME?_

"H-how long did you-"

"It was a bit obvious in your waves." I heard a haunting voice loom from that creepy wave-girl. "I couldn't sense any of the intense anger and resentment you held towards him after a while, and they soon turned into a more passionate and affectionate-"

"MY WAVES ARE NOT AFFECTIONATE!" I roared, causing most of the students occupying the school grounds to peek over in our direction out of curiosity.

"Oh… I wasn't aware of that. I suppose his waves wouldn't matter much to you, then." She tipped her drink to her lips and took a sip, "Pity, it even took me by surprise…"

I felt every muscle in my body tighten- I was startled, taken aback… I usually didn't believe in her weird waves or anything superstitious like that, but what she had just said caught my complete attention.

"Tohru, you're cooking is so beautiful, it warms my cold heart." I heard her turn to Tohru-

"Hey-Hey!" I let go of Momiji's mouth and turned onto her, "Tell me! I want to know!"

She looked at me with a confused expression, and then sighed,

"It's too personal, I would be abusing my gift if I told you of such waves."

"WHAT? BUT YOU CAN GO YACKING TO THE WHOLE WORLD ABOUT MINE?" I was furious- if everyone could hear about _my_ waves, _I_ could hear about Yuki's, DAMMIT!

But she just simply shook her head wistfully, "If you want to know, you'll have to ask him."

"GAH! Give me _something!_" I said desperately, "Can you read his thoughts? Just _one_ thing, just tell me one thing!"

"I can only feel the waves that emit themselves from a human being. Reading thoughts is a very different and highly more complicated ability that is quite rare."

"THEN JUST TELL ME HIS GODDAMN WAVES!"

"Who's 'goddamn waves'?"

"Gwa!" I flipped over and landed on my back, startled by the sudden familiar voice. I looked up and saw Yuki, just as startled by my reaction, looking back down at me. "NOTHING!" I yelled, "I MEAN, NO ONE'S!"

He looked over to Haru, and pointed at the bottle he was holding- "Isn't that mine?"

I left my intestines tangle. Groaning, I rolled over to my stomach and hid my face in the ground. This was too much.

"Yuki-san, would you like some lunch?" I heard Tohru pipe up, and I kept my face hidden by my arms.

"Yes, please, I am hungry." I heard the transfer of food and a light conversation pick up between the circle of friends- but I wasn't listening, because my mind was concentrating on the sound of someone sitting down right next to me.

I hide my face in my arms as I let my hands grab fistfuls of my hair.

_Ignore him… ignore him… ignore him…_

Despite myself, I peeked at Yuki through my orange hair. He had his lunch in his hands, and was carrying out a conversation effortlessly with the girls… but I didn't know what they were talking about, because I was trying to mesmerize the sound of his voice. I hadn't heard it so close for so long. It was soft, and gentle, like silk- and I watched his lips as they formed his words, the corners pulled slightly up in a pleasant manner. I furrowed my brow… even through his little, simple smile, I could still see a little bit of honesty in it.

It was an odd feeling, being with him but not really being with him. Maybe I was growing a bit tired of ignoring him...

I exhaled a groan, and leaned over a bit to rest my forehead against his knee.

(Yuki's POV)

"I do have student council after school, again, we have a lot of things to sort through since this year is coming to an end." I said to Tohru. I felt so much better being out of a stuffy classroom. The slight breeze felt good as the warm sun beat down on the six of us, and the air was so easy to breathe. I tried not to glance down at Kyo who was lying down on the lush, green grass. He really sounded flustered when I had spoken to him, so I decided not to press, and I kept my attention on everyone else with effort.

"I hope it's not going to be too stressful- I don't think that's really good for them to pile you with so much work near exams…" Tohru said sympathetically.

I let a smile tug further on my lips, "It's alright, I really don't mind. I signed up for the responsibility, I can handle it-"

And then I felt something against my knee.

I looked down- and saw Kyo's hair splayed across my knee as he kept his forehead against it… and suddenly, a huge burning erupted at my cheeks. Electricity shot through every inch of my skin, crawling up from my knee to my heart, causing it to beat a thousand times faster. My pulse fluttered through my body, and I felt my insides tighten with the bashful feeling that was skittering across my skin like frantic centipedes.

Haru saved me, starting up a conversation between the girls immediately, and I felt a huge feeling of relief flood over me-because I couldn't find my voice.

My stomach filled up with ecstatic butterflies that flittered their tickling wings against the soft walls of my stomach… I was not used to any kind of sincere affection- and at first I thought Kyo was just joking, but he kept himself there, against my knee.

And that was enough to send me _flying_.

**-End-**

**AN-** thank you for reading, please **!Review!**


	27. Chapter 27

**AN-** This is getting long and... I have thought about this story, and I have planned out the rest of it. Hopefully it wont take so long to complete- and there wont be too many chapters... I've already done enough. Sorry for how much there is (nnk) i'll try to bring it to a close.  
One more thing- I did have this posted before, but I realised that I had made a few confusing mistakes, so I had to take it down for editing. But here it is! Squeaky clean just for you:

_**Chapter Twenty Seven**_

(Yuki's POV)

"Goodbye Yun-Yun!"

I lifted a hand up in response, but I didn't glance over my shoulder to my co-worker and vice president Kakeru Manabe. I was beat, after a long while of focusing on my responsibilities as President of the Student Council- Or, more affectionately known as, the "School Defence Force"- all I wanted to do was go home and lay down in my comfy bed.

I let out a long breath- it was definitely not very relaxing being in a room of high school students who find nothing amusing or serious about our responsibilities, so they have to compensate by clawing away at my tolerance and energy.

But I was finished with it for the day and walking home along the tree-framed path. I still felt my stomach quiver slightly in a helplessly flattered way when I let my mind trail off to what happened at lunch. He hadn't done anything else- he didn't talk throughout the whole break, he only lay there, seemingly content with his small attempt at physical contact.

I shook my head to try and get it out of the clouds. I was acting like a twelve-year-old girl, and it was starting to agitate me how he could rise such a… pathetic emotion inside of me. I don't know how he did it… it was probably because it was the slightest touch, that it was so simple, it wasn't aggresive... which was out of Kyo's nature. I hadn't expected him to show any kind of… affection towards me, especially around people we knew like he had then. Would I ever get used to his unpredictable nature?

I stepped into the clearing and made my way forward to the sun-bathed house- and as I got closer, I noticed that the warm, golden sun pooled it's light over the porch, welcoming me. I approached it, crawled onto the patio and laid myself down on my back- a little too impatient for taking a nap to make my way upstairs. I felt the sun beat down on my stomach, my black uniform seeping up the welcoming heat, and my face. It wasn't a surprise that in the comforting warmth and my exhausted state, I had fallen asleep with ease.

(Kyo's POV)

I shoved my hand into Haru's face, pushing him away from me, "This is my water, get your own!"

"But I'm thirsty..." He said pleadingly as I tipped the glass to my lips.

"I said get your own!" I drank down the water eagerly, satisfying my thirst immediatly.

I heard Haru sigh beside me and mumble, "I don't get it." as he leaned back onto the Dojo porch.

I peeked over to him, "What are you blabbering about? If you got something to say, say it, you dumb punk!"

He turned to look at me, "Yuki. I don't know why he likes you." I was about to roar at him, but he continued quickly, "Not insulting you or anything- but I don't see Yuki being attracted to anything about you."

"I'm not the same with him as I am with everyone else, you idiot." I looked away, "Don't be stupid."  
I said that defending myself... but Haru's words ghosted in my mind like a foggy dream plaguing my sleep- what did Yuki like about me anyways? I could name countless numbers of things about him that I liked, and what was there to me? I couldn't compare with him.

"Do you write him poems or something?"

"GAH!" I felt my jaw drop, "WHADDA HELL, NO! WHY WOULD I DO THAT? DONT BE WEIRD!"

Haru shrugged, "You gotta have a romantic secret. Basically everyone's trying to figure out how you get all his attention... It's a mystery."

I peeked over to him, "Everyone? Not including a certain perveted old man, right?"

"You mean Sensei? Yeah, I'm sure he knows about you two."

I knew by Sensei he was referring to Shigure- and I felt my heart give one throb before I tried to find a little bit of shining hope to convince me of his ignorance, "How the hell would he know?"

"You two are kinda obvious."

I glared at him in my defence, "I thought you said it was 'a mystery'?"

"I meant why he likes you- not that he likes you. The mystery is what you're like around Yuki alone- you barely even talk to him around other people."

I guess it was stupid to think that Shigure wouldn't be sneaking into what's been going on... but I can't really be all that different around Yuki alone... or maybe I was. Maybe I was being just a huge poofy piece of fluff around him and I was too embarrassed to let that show around everyone else... I shuddered at that thought- what if Yuki _had_ reduced me to a damn poofy piece of fluff?

That damn rat...

"You're gonna break that glass."

I let go of the painful grip my hand had over my glass of water- why was I being so defensive, Yuki couldn't make me that pathetic, that would take alot of fluffing. I let out a humph, "Yuki's doesn't like me all that much anyways..." I set the glass down beside me, "I dunno why he puts up with me half the time."

"Whatever it is... it's gotta be something special."

I turned to Haru who had turned onto his back and was hanging his head over the edge of the porch, examining the clear blue sky. "It takes alot to get through to Yuki... but whenever you seem to say something directly to him without yelling, he get's this speachless look about him- not the panicked kind, but the... captivated kind."

I felt something errupt inside of me- whether it was pride, confidence, thrill,- it was also a bashful sort of feeling, and I tried to hide my complimented blush before Haru could see it, "Now you're just being stupid. that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

"Does he do that to you?"

I looked over to him automatically- his eyes glanced at me, then back up to the sky. I clenched my teeth and looked away. I felt my defensiveness drift away with the slight warm breeze. "Yeah. He does that to me."

I blew out a breath and ruffled my hair before pushing myself up, "I'm going home." I jumped off the porch and without a backwards glance I was consumed by the shadows of the forrest.

"Ga, Dammit." I put a hand to my face, taking in a slow breath.

It was true, he did do that to me. He stole my words, my breath, my thoughts when he talked to me in the way he wouldn't talk to anyone else. I felt... dammit, what word did Haru use... captivated. Yeah, captivated- that sounded right.

That damn rat captivated me.

And now Shigure probably knows. I've gotten used to the fact that people know that I like him, and this was Shigure- and if he really did know- then my life is about to get alot more agitating.

I stepped over a root that was rising out from the dirt, and looked up to see the house in view. I let a sigh creep out of my lungs and I stepped out of the trees and into the clearing. The heat from the sun was against my skin, and I felt myself shutter against the it as my body began to grow warmer. I looked towards the house and to the patio where someone lay asleep in a pool of golden, warm sun light.

I raised my eyebrow, but advanced towards him.

I stepped up onto the porch and put either of my feet on the wood beside Yuki's sleeping body, my shadow blocking the light from shining onto him… But he still didn't wake up.

"Hey- Rat." I put a hand patiently on my hip- but Yuki still looked like he was sleeping just as soundlessly as he was before I got here. I heaved a sigh and settled with crossing my legs and plopping myself down beside him. I rested my elbows on my knees and glanced over to Yuki. I have seen him sleep before… but now he had the glory of the sun to make him seem to glow even more. His eyes looked a bit sore, like he had been over-exerting himself over the past few days. He always had that faint outline of purple around his eyelids when he did.

His silky hair was shimmering in the sun's warmth, and I decided that I had put off touching him for long enough. I reached out slowly and brushed my fingertips against his hair… it was so smooth, so soft- if I hadn't seen myself do it, I probably would've thought I was brushing my hand through smoke. I let my fingers comb further into his pretty, silver hair and I tried to mesmerize it… but I couldn't put this feeling in my memory, I couldn't even picture his beauty in my memory.

I saw his head tilt towards my touch, and I pulled back quickly. I frowned at him- it wasn't all _that_ late, he shouldn't be so damn tired… this would probably be the only time I get to talk to him for another three damn days. I wasn't gonna pass it up because he can't get a hold over himself and just sleep.

"Yo- rat." I tapped at his head. Plus, I needed to warn him about the whole Shigure thing- it has lately only been me submitted to all the questions about Yuki and I, and I don't think I can put up with this, my agitation could sky rocket any moment now-a-days. I tapped his head again, but all he did was loll his head towards me.

I sighed and shook at his shoulder, "Yo- Prince, get uuUUAAAA!"

Yuki blinked up at me while searing pain went stabbing through my hand and shot up to my elbow as Yuki had my palm twisted in a _very_ unnatural position.

"...Whaddar you doing?" Yuki mumbled-

"Let go! Let go! That _hurts,_ Dammit!" I squealed, the muscles in my palm cramping in a horrible painful way that made my fingers curl and shake.

"Huh? Oh-" Yuki quickly let go of my hand, "Sorry…"

"Wadda hell was THAT for?!" I cradled my hand, the muscles still cramping painfully as I tried to relax my hand.

"It's called reflexes… I was sleeping…" He rubbed at his eyes and curled to his side towards me.

"He-hey, don't go back to sleep!" I shook my hand in the air; "I got hurt trying to wake you up, dammit!"

"I'm really tired…" He said sleepily, curling his hands up to his chest.

I frowned at myself, then cautiously reached forward and placed my hand on his shoulder- feeling a little more confident now that he wasn't moulding any of my bones into any odd shapes.

"C'mon, get up." I shook his shoulder again. Yuki just groaned before he reached around and coiled his cool fingers around my warm ones and took them off of his shoulder, but not letting go. He looked up at me,

"Fine, what is it?"

Suddenly, Shigure had cleverly found a hiding spot in my mind, and all that I could think about was his soft hand enclosed around mine, his tired, glossy eyes looking into mine, and the uncontrollable fluttering that my heart was impressively accomplishing.

"Have you been ignoring me?" I narrowed my eyes at him accusingly.

He blinked up at me… then threw my hand back at my face, "Idiot, I've just been busy with schooling." He curled back up on his side, "And it's drained me a lot, so I'm gonna sleep now…"

I felt relief wash through me, and I let out a heavy breath that had been clinging to the inside of my lungs. I watched, as Yuki seemed to drift deeper and deeper into sleep before my eyes. Soon his wrists were limply crossed against his chest, which was rising and falling in a peaceful motion.

The idiot, if he wanted some sleep he shouldn't be laying down on the damn porch- how stupid was that? ... although it is pretty nice outside, and the sun is comfortably warm- I guess I can see why he'd rather have a nap out here.

I hugged my stomach tightly-- as if I feared my intestines would spill out onto the porch if I let my grip loosen-- to keep myself from touching Yuki's sleeping body. This was the first time in so long that I had been alone with him, and he was _sleeping_.

I let out a growl at myself. Dammit.

I would just have to wait.

I looked down at him, and realised that even though I didn't get to kiss him, touch him, talk to him, or ever see him look at me… he was still here, with me and with me alone.

... and somehow, 'captivated' didn't quite cut it now.

**-End-**

**AN-** thank you fer reading- I will try to have the next chapter up at some point today... please review


	28. Chapter 28

**AN-** feeehhhh sorry for taking so damn long to get this up- I've had so much trouble with this chapter, I think I'm forever gonna hold a grudge against the number 28. Writer's block had to come some time... I was marching up the streets pulling at my hair, trying to figure out how to do this one properly... I'm still not all too sure about this- but it's the best I can give you without waiting weeks at a time. So please enjoy!  
I'll try to keep my updates more consistant! Thank you for being so patient!  
(There is no owning of Fruits Baskets going on here...)

_**Chapter Twenty Eight**_

(Yuki's POV)

I opened the front door and felt the chill of the inside air seep around me as I took my first step inside. I had finished yet another episode of Student Council today, and was quite relieved to be through with it... although tomorrow would no doubt be even more exhausting.

I made my way into the kitchen, grabbing a glass for some water. As I turned on the tap I noticed a piece of paper beside the sink and I picked it up while I held the glass under the sink.

I briefly scanned across Shigure's writing, finding myself to be a relieved at Shigure's explained absence, but disappointed as I read that Tohru was over at Hanajima's- although it said she would be home to make dinner.

I sighed in relief before tipping the glass to my lips- I didn't feel like I had enough energy to walk all the way to a restaurant with Shigure and Kyo. I finished my refreshing drink and set it down in the sink.

I made my way up the stairs- and as I walked down the hall, I heard a creak from the ceiling. I froze- then relaxed. The note hadn't said anything about Kyo, and even though I would have first assumed that he was at the Dojo the creak from the roof gave him away.

I skipped tapping on his door, passed my room without bothering to change. Today was too nice to waste inside my room anyways, and plus it's been a while since I've been alone with Kyo.

I opened the door to the outside balcony and silently pulled myself up the ladder. I pushed myself up onto the roof, and saw Kyo lying down on his back, looking totally at peace in the warm, golden sun that pooled around him, making his hair an even more vibrant orange.

I approached him, and at hearing me I saw him open his radiant red eyes gentle with relaxation and watch me as I laid myself down on my stomach beside him.

I crossed my arms in front of me and nuzzled my face inside their shield. I felt the sun beat down on my back, my black uniform seeping up the welcoming heat.

"_You_ look like you had a long day." I heard him tease beside me.

I groaned, "Student Council is really starting to get ridiculous with those guys."

"Starting to? Feh, I dunno how you put up with them for so long."

"I think I got enough practice from dealing with you." I looked up to him as he turned his head towards me,

"Don't even start comparing me to those idiots," He said with a devilish grin, "Admit it, you couldn't handle me if you were on another _planet_."

"It's you who's on the other planet." I retorted, "You're whole _head_ is a planet."

I watched as Kyo's eye twitched at me before- "WADDA HELL IT IS NOT!"

I shoved a hand into his face to muffle his screaming, "Please don't yell, I'm very tired."

He glared at me and shoved my hand away, "YOU'RE THE-" my hand was back on his mouth stubbornly, and he grabbed it to once more take it away from his mouth, "_You're_ the one slamming stupid things like people having planets for heads!"

"You're so noisy." I rolled over onto my back and looked up at the sky. "It's a good thing I have Student Council, or I probably wouldn't have any ears anymore."

"Yeah. Good thing." Kyo crossed his arms stubbornly across his chest and we both looked up at the clouds. Even though I was resting on the hard roof, I was more relaxed then I have been sleeping on my bed for the last few days. "… So what do they have you do there that's so damn important anyway?"

I looked over to him curiously, "Why? Do you miss me?" I teased.

He looked over at me with a scrunched up face, "WHA? NO!" His defensiveness was almost flattering when it was accompanied with that slight blush of his, "I just can't think of one damn useful thing you bunch of idiots do in that classroom after school."

"And I can't really think of one useful technique that an idiot like you can learn to do properly from the Dojo when you go there." I retorted.

"I CAN KICK YOURE ASS ANY DAY!" Kyo was sitting up and his eyes were shining, "I HAVE SO MANY MOVES UP MY SLEEVE, I COULD HAVE YOU DOING BELLY FLOPS INTO THE DAMN SUN IF I WANTED TO!"

I stretched my arms over my head and grinned at him, "Belly flops in the sun?" I let out a small laugh, "If you keep on yelling like that, I'll happily do it without your help."

"ARE YOU MOCKING ME?"

"Why would I mock you? I'm being totally serious." I looked at him with the straightest face I could muster… and I saw his face scrunch up in disgust- and then he rolled his head back and let out a sigh, lying back down beside me.

"Is it really all that exhausting?" Kyo asked after a moment of comfortable silence, "You're always so damn tired."

I deliberated for a moment, feeling the tired oasis of my mind expand slowly, "It's not really exhausting- it's just me." I said thoughtfully. It was true… if I was more normal, more average, then it wouldn't drain so much out of me.

I heard Kyo shuffle beside me, "What do you mean?"

I kept my gaze to the sky, and contemplated telling him… a part of me wanted to keep that side of me to myself- but I felt how my muscles weren't tight, how my shoulders were relaxed, and how easy it was to breath.

"It's gets… suffocating. Around all those people." I filled my lungs leisurely with a breath and let it escape my lips, "I left… the main house for many reasons… I thought that in public school, I could escape from it all… but I was wrong."

I brought a hand up to my face and absent-mindedly ran it through my hair, "I wanted to escape the expectations, the loneliness… but now I've realised that… I could never escape it from leaving the main house- because… it wasn't inside of that house- it's inside of me."

The main house- it just intensified it all… it was like physically being inside of myself. It was so dark, cold, and isolated… my hands would shake, my eyes would quiver, and it would hurt to breath my lungs would be so tight…

"And I… I don't want that inside of me anymore." I looked up and lost myself in the clear sky.

The loneliness, the expectations… it consumed me, veiled itself over my every thought, it chained down my confidence, coiled its talons around my throat.

"If I put myself in situations where I have no choice but to socialize, to interact with others… then I'll adapt to it, I wont be so scared of disappointing everyone." I bit at my lip. I know that when you force yourself or anyone for that matter to do anything… they'll either let go of their guard and finally overcome it… or they'll retreat, hide deep inside themselves.

And that's what I've been doing… what I've done all my life. I've been hiding, and… I was tired of it. I was so tired of hiding from myself. That's why… that's why I loved being around Kyo-

I looked over to him. He seemed deep in thought, his brow furrowed as he looked into the sky like an answer was written amongst the clouds.

This boy, this ridiculous, immature, hotheaded cat had pulled me away from myself, stripped me completely of my guard… and he accepted me. He pulled me closer instead of shoving me away in disappointment.

He wasn't disappointed in me…

I felt something inside of me bubble- and the loneliness inside of me, it began to burn- dissolve, as I felt my eyes sting with moisture…

He looked over to me, "You're scared of disappointing everyone?"

I looked away and nodded.

"That's stupid."

I looked back at him, but there was no mocking tone in his voice, no criticizing gleam in his eyes, no agitation… he was being sincere, thoughtful. I turned over onto my stomach so he wouldn't see my face.

"The only person you're disappointing is yourself."

I kept myself hidden in my arms- but I still peeked at him through the locks of hair hiding my face.

"If you hide yourself from people… then you're gonna miss out on making friendships with people who really care for you, who really want to know you… you'll be missing out on something meaningful." He scrunched up his nose, "Instead of all that pointless trash you get from all those damn fangirls."

I let out a chuckle despite how the heaviness of the topic should be weighing down my thoughts, pulling my tongue into the back of my throat, clenching my stomach until I feel like throwing up.

But somehow… somehow I felt easy talking to him. I don't feel like I'm wasting his time, like I'm talking selfishly. I feel like… what I have to say really matters to him.

"And maybe…" Kyo's face smoothed over, becoming gentle and considerate- like he was thinking of something almost sad, "And maybe one day, you'll find someone who makes you feel like you're worth the world."

My heart gave one painful, thick throb before stopping.

He looked over to me before I could say anything, and he caught me peeking at him through my strands of hair. He reached over the short distance between us and with his finger he drew back the locks of hair that were hiding my gaze, his warm fingertip brushing against my soft cheek.

He looked into my eyes… and I looked into his. They were sincere, honest, and so gentle that I felt like melting underneath his gaze. It gushed into my insides, and settled amongst my organs with unsettling reassurance. But at the same time… it was horribly sad.

"But that person will never find you if you're not yourself." He said softly- but then a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, "of course, if you do be yourself there will be a lot more then one person falling in love with you."

But I didn't want everyone to fall in love with me- I didn't want anyone to. Because I know I can't return that feeling… I can't return that feeling because… I've already given it away.

"I don't want to be loved by anyone else." I mumbled into my arms, but he just raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean the type of love your fangirls give you."

"I wasn't talking about them."

I watched his reaction… and noticed a flash of something beautiful gleam over his eyes- but soon after his eyes were glossed over with a less vulnerable emotion.

He tapped the side of my head with his knuckle, "Man, you must really be tired- you're not making any damn sense."

I blushed at his casual touch, and watched as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Maybe I was just tired… sleep fogged the tips of my thoughts, and exhaustion tugged heavily at my eyelids…

After a moment of drifting inside the mist of my mind, I heard Kyo settled himself back down beside me... and I felt him rest his forehead against my shoulder. It sent my nerves quivering, and my insides swelling pleasantly.

And somewhere inside that moment; the warm sun against my back, his touch against my shoulder, his soft hair tickling my neck, his breathing a lullaby echoing in my silent mind; I had fallen into a peaceful sleep…

**-****End****-**

**AN-** aw hell- I didn't realise how short that was... I made you lot wait for a short chapter! What trickery am I bestowing on you... anyways, I will make up for it by posting chapter 29 soon!  
Thank you for reading, Please **!Review!** thank you for being so patient with me...  
Oh and btw, if anyone knows if there's a limit on how much I can write for one story... I'd like to know before I found it out myself X.X so if yer in the know-how... please share your wisdom


	29. Chapter 29

**AN-** Fruits Baskets is not mine. To those who have only seen the anime- Student Council is in the Manga alot. The members of Kakeru Manabe, Naohito Sakuragi, Kimi, and Machi... only kakery and Naohito pop up here. And read the manga- it is a thousand times more amazing then the anime (even the anime is pretty cool)

_**Chapter Twenty Nine**_

(Yuki's POV)

I sighed as I bent down to pick up the crumpled piece of paper at my feet, "Please remind me again the productivity throwing paper across the room has, because it seems to have slipped my mind at the moment."

Kakeru Manabe blew a strand of his black hair out of his face, "Yun-Yun, I'm helping you get your much needed exercise!"

I crunched the paper tighter in my hand before whipping it at Manabe, hitting him straight in the face. This guy was seriously annoying; there was absolutely _no_ explanation of how I have managed to stay sane being in the Student Council room with him every day after school for the past week.

"Don't hit me! I was being affectionate!" He whined, over-doing how upset he was from my reaction.

"You were being _idiotic_, get some work done!" I walked over to him and picked up the piece of paper _again_ to dispose of it in the garbage can, since I already knew he wasn't about to get up from his comfortable assembly of boxes and desks that he was sprawled on.

"You're _all_ being idiots, Yuki-Sohma, stop wasting your time collecting garbage- _I'm_ the only one working here!" Naohito Sakuragi announced from his corner of the room, rumiging through numerouse amounts of paper that were stacked on the desk he was in front of.

"Chibi-suke, don't talk to Yun-Yun like that!" Manabe hopped down from his self-made throne and strolled over to Sakuragi, "Besides _you're _not working-" He suddenly pounced at the paper, "YOU'RE READING HENTAI! I SAW IT!"

"NO I'M NOT, GET AWAY, YOU'RE MESSING UP MY WORK!- AND DON'T CALL ME CHIBI-SUKE!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes, Sakuragi had always been hostile towards me- but it was easy to brush off since it was comparisingly friendly next to how Kyo acts towards me… well, that is… how he act-_ed_ towards me…

"AH!" Suddenly I was surrounded by darkness by whatever was being shoved on my head- I felt numberous amounts of crinkly paper fall onto my head and to the ground. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I shoved the basket off of my head and looked over to Manabe who had a utterly horrified look on his face-

"You were drifting into another dimention!" Manabe waved his hand in front of my face, and I defensively slapped it away,

"Stop it, I _wasn't_ drifting into another dimention!" I looked down at the mess that was surrounding me- all the wasted paper, candy wrapers, and pencil shavings. I sighed and shook at my hair- variouse bits of said garbage flittering to the floor.

"How did _you_ come to be vice-president?" I heard Sakuragi murmer while cleaning up the mess Manabe had enthusiastically made.

I pushed the wastebasket into Manabe's chest, "Clean it up."

"WHA?" Manabe looked overly- shocked, "Me?" He pressed his hands innocently into his chest, "But I was _saving_ you!"

"You dumped _garbage_ on my _head._" Manabe pouted his lip at me, but took the wastebasket from my grip anyhow. I looked up at the clock desperately.

Time was dragging by, but the days were going so fast. It had been a week since I've seen Kyo without being on the verge of dreaming, and I wondered what was going through his head…

I noticed the clock read that it was lunch. I sighed, _even the __clock__ isn't working._ I grabbed onto a nearby desk and dragged it against the wall before stepping up onto it. I grabbed the heavy clock, and flipped it around to view the controls.

"What time is it?" I asked as I unlatched the cover to the batteries. There was the problem; one of them wasn't in securely. I pushed it back into its place-

"OH SHIT!"

I spun around and watched as Manabe dropped the wastebasket absent-mindedly with a face of sudden realization as he looked at his watch. I flinched as the wastebasket hit the floor with a loud clang, the contents gleefully bounding out and onto the floor.

"I'M GONNA BE LATE!" Manabe went from being on pause to fast-forward mode, and was zipping around the room, grabbing his things and stuffing them hastily into his back-pack, "I must find Machi! Good-bye Yun-Yun!" He waved at me pleasantly with a wide smile, and was gone from the room.

I hesitantly looked over to Sakuragi, "So… what time is it?"

(Kyo's POV)

"GEDDA HELL AWAY, I'LL KILL YOU!" I swiped my hand through the air, trying to hit that _damn_ bug that has been buzzing around me for a while now. "DAMMIT, WHADDA HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE-- _GAK_!" I felt something small collide with the back of my throat- I started to gag untill I coughed out the tiny fly, utterly _disgusted_-

"…Did I come at a bad time?"

I whipped around on the hard roof, and was greeted by an uncertain looking Yuki.

I felt my blood rush to my face- not very proud that I had a witness to my epic battle with that damn fly.

"I heard you from outside and thought you were being raped or something…" Yuki raised an eyebrow at me.

"I- I WAS NOT BEING RAPED!" I shouted defensively, absolutely embarrassed by my incapability to do away with a fly while holding my dignity.

Yuki held out a hand, "Alright, I get it." He sat down beside me in one smooth motion, "How about you don't yell, I've had a whole week of over-eccentric behaviour." Yuki ran a hand through his hair and looked over to me, "Anyways, Flies can be pretty frisky."

I opened my mouth to shout something back- but held my tongue. Instead I wrinkled my nose at him and sat with my back to him. "You're fault for going so often, it's not like they were _forcing_ you."

"I know."

I stubbornly kept my back to him- even though every muscle in me was twitching to turn to him-, which made me even _more_ annoyed at myself. This is _my_ body, it should do what _I_ say- but instead it submits to every graceful wave of Yuki's hand.

I understood what he had said to me before… not that I personally went through whatever he had, but now I feel like I understand why he's all wrapped up in that student council shit. I was a bit shocked at it… I don't know why- I've always known that there was something inside of him that was sad and dark- and even though he didn't let it on to be heavy, I could hear it in his voice, see it in the depths of his mournful eyes- whatever happened to him at the main house… it really effected him.

I felt rage build up inside of me- that wasn't fair, not to him… whatever happened to him, he didn't deserve it. I can see it in his eyes- there is so much sorrow deep inside of him… and I want to reach inside him and coil my fingers around that sticky glob of black and pull it from the hole in his soul- cuz it's the only thing that's blocking that beautiful light of his from blinding the world.

So I guess I couldn't blame it on him for being so wrapped up in it. I felt… envious that he had enough in him to take on his fears. I… I didn't have that kind of bravery. I run away. I ran away from him, from the fear of… caring for someone. I told him I liked him, but I was going to run away. If he hadn't caught my hand, I would've ran away like every time before.

But still, I was _not_ gonna look at him, if he thinks that after a whole damn week of keeping himself locked up I was gonna go crawling back to him whenever _he_ finds it _convenient_- he had another thing coming to him-

Suddenly I felt his fingers comb themselves into my messy orange hair- and every single inch of my skin was electrified- I felt myself relax under his affection touch, and I didn't realise that I had closed my eyes until he had gently grabbed a fistful of my hair and was pulling me backwards until I was suddenly looking right up at Yuki- my head in his soft lap-

He was looking at me curiously, and I felt a huge blush burn at my cheeks—I was trying to get my arms to push him away, to get my tongue to form sharp words- but his beautiful violet eyes were looking deep into mine, searching for something, almost like they were mesmerizing a pattern hidden in them…

I felt his hand let go of the grasp it had in my hair just to start combing his fingers through it once more. I tried to keep my eyes open, to concentrate on getting my body back in_ my_ control—but in a matter of seconds, I felt my eyes slide shut and all my mind could think of was how his slender fingers weaved there way through the thickness of my hair… the feeling washed through my body, my skin tickled at the sensation, it felt so nice… The warm sun on my body, the breeze so slight I could barely feel it, the feeling of my head resting on his lap, my head filling with his luxurious scent, his fingers playing with my hair…

I felt completely content, at peace…

I felt a soft purr vibrate through my chest.

(Yuki's POV)

I combed my hands through his pretty orange hair and glorified in its soft thickness. I could tell he was trying to get himself to get away from my grasp, but apparently my affection was too desirable. I watch him blush and look away, and soon after his eyes slowly drooped shut. Not before long, I felt my own blush creep into my cheeks as I heard his soft purr vibrate from his chest.

I removed my hand from his hair and placed it against his warm, soft, cheek.

I was growing more and more fond of him, but I couldn't allow myself to skip Student Council, no matter how much I wanted to be with him. I couldn't isolate myself with him, and that's why I need Student Council more then ever. I needed to keep in touch with reality, or else I will become too dependent on him. And I… I can't do that. I can't depend on people. No matter how every part of me wants to give him all of me, I needed to be able to hold onto my own dignity, I needed to be the source of my strength.

… But no matter how much I need to be able to hold myself all on my own, I still couldn't help but lean a little bit on Kyo.

I felt something enclose around my hand, and I brought my vision back into focus to see Kyo looking up at me with a curious expression, his warm hand grasping mine.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice was quiet, and curious.

I let a small smile tug at my lips, "How incapable I am."

"At what?" He still hadn't let go of my hand, and was holding it to his cheek.

"Everything."

He looked like he was taking in what I said, and I saw something flash across his face- it looked like a mix between realization, assumption, and acknowledgement.

He pushed himself off my lap, letting go of my hand so he could put his on the other side of my body to keep him up.

He cocked his head to the side, examining my expression. "Not everything," He lifted his free hand and tapped my head with his knuckle, "You're pretty capable of keeping my attention."

I felt myself blush, but tried to push it aside, "Cat's are easily amused."

"So they're also easily distracted then." He pointed out, "I have to concentrate on distracting myself when I'm around you."

I looked away from him; he was being really stupid trying to convince me like that. I wish he would just be honest, I felt like he was just saying things for my benefit because it wasn't like him at all. Anyways, what's so distracting about me? I'm plain, ordinary. The only thing interesting about me is how dull I am…

I felt a warm hand place itself on my cheek and turn me towards his face once more, "When are you going to appreciate the effort I put into things?" He gave me a stern look, "I'm being serious, it's not all that easy keeping myself in place around you."

"You can never keep yourself in place."

"Could you just shut up and accept what I'm saying?" He was being firm with me, "You're acting like you don't think you're worth anything and it pisses me off."

I felt my hands reach up and grab at his shirt, and I leaned in towards him and pressed my lips against his. I could feel how taken aback he was, so I pulled away and looked at him. He was searching my eyes, and I would have hoped that he didn't see the desperation in them, but I have been getting worse at hiding myself from him.

I wanted to be as close to him as I could; I wanted him to reassure me.

He leaned forward, his musky scent filling my head as he pressed his wet, warm lips gently against mine. He didn't tease me with his tongue, or send my skin on fire with his touch. He didn't press his chest against mine, or dominate my mouth with his. He rolled his lips against mine softly- I can't recall the last time I felt him kiss me, but this might as well have been the first... he captured my lips in a soft kiss, easing me into bliss as his hand gently combed itself through my hair...

"Kyo? Are you up there?"

Kyo pulled away just enough so our lips weren't touching, and let out an aggitated sigh that ghosted over my mouth before turning away from me at the voice that sounded from the patio, "Whaddya want?" he barked, seemingly put off from being interrupted.

"Do you know where Yuki is?"

Kyo looked over to me, "Yeah he's up here with me."

"Oh…" I heard the Shigure climbing ladder, but I was surprised that Kyo hadn't pulled away from me much even when Shigure's face popped up from the roof. A shocked look came over his face as he looked in between us, Kyo leaning over me, his hand still nitted in my hair. "Oh- am I interupting something?"

"Yes." Kyo said moodily in a voice stating the obviouse, sliding his hand on the base of my neck- sending involuntary shivers tingling down my spine. Shigure blinked between us- and I blinked between them... we hadn't thought that Shigure would have known for sure- but any hope of that had quickly disembarked now.

"Anyways, Yuki, I need you to help me with moving the furniture, Tohru's going to clean out the house this weekend-"

"Hey hold it!" Kyo cut in, "Why're you asking _him_?"

"Yuki's the strongest." Shigure said like it was obvious- and Kyo bolted up to his feet-

"Wadda hell makes you think that??" He barked.

"Because he always beats you in a fight." Shigure said, "And he's much more co-operative then you are."

"The hell he is!" Kyo stormed over to Shigure, "Get outa the way, _I'll_ move the furniture, that's a _man's_ job!"

"But I want Yuki-" Kyo shoved his foot into Shigure's face, making him fall off the ladder and land with a loud 'thunk' on the patio bellow. Kyo turned to me, "How about you do everyone a favour and get some sleep so you're not in your damn bed the whole weekend!" Kyo said, still in his pissed-off mode, and with that he disappeared bellow the roof.

I rolled my eyes.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** thank you for reading, please review


	30. Chapter 30

**AN-** I do not own fruits baskets.  
HOLY SHNNNN I'm at chapter thirty!! -faints- hnnn I cant believe I'm this far... anyways, I dont know how many more chapters I'm gonna do. so please enjoy this one:

_**Chapter thirty**_

(Kyo's POV)

"Stop fooling around! If you're gonna do something at least _help!"_ I barked as Shigure slumped himself over the table I was trying to drag out of the house.

"Kyo, you're so moody." Shigure flopped his body off the table and wondered around the room. I sneered at him and continued to drag the heavy dining table out of the house. It was noon already, and Yuki still seemed to be asleep. _Least the stupid Rat's finally taking care of himself._ I felt the warm sun on my skin as I eventually pulled the last piece of furniture out of the house, and I slumped down onto the ground and blew out a breath of air.

"Kyo!"

I looked up to see Tohru coming towards me with a large glass of water, "Would you like some water?"

I reached eagerly for the cup and drank it all down with one breath before wiping my forearm across my mouth to get rid of any leftover drops, "Thanks, needed that."

"Thank you so much for helping me clean the house! I wouldn't have been able to move it all on my own." She looked around at the furniture I had moved outside.

"Yeah, it's no big deal." I laid myself down on the ground on my back. I heard Tohru sit next to me.

"U-um… so…" I heard her stutter nervously. I looked over to see her playing with her fingers.

"What?" I didn't like it when she got nervous, it bothered me. She looked over to me then away.

"So… you and Yuki… are… getting along now?" She said nervously. I brushed it aside. Of course she would want to talk about that.

"I guess. I still wanna kick his ass at a fight, though." I said absent-mindedly.

"You still fight?" I looked over to see her shocked expression.

"Well, yeah, if he thinks I'm gonna stop training just cuz-" and I lost my words. Just because…

"Because you… like him?"

I looked back over to her, then quickly away feeling a small blush creep up my cheeks, "Yeah. That."

I guess I would have to get used to saying it out loud, to talk about Yuki out loud the way I did in my head… it just felt so damn weird.

"Yeah, cuz I like him." I said, "But… I guess that's also the reason I want to beat him in a fight."

Tohru looked at me curiously, "Why?"

I let out a sigh, "He thinks I'm pathetic."

Tohru shifted her position, "That's not true! He doesn't think you're pathetic!"

I glanced over to her, "I _am_ pathetic, though. I don't know what he see's in me, but _I_ definitely don't see it."

"And you see things in him that he doesn't, too." Tohru said, "Yuki doesn't see how amazing he really is, and neither do you."

I looked away, "Now you're just being ridiculous."

"You should ask him, then." Tohru suddenly chirped up, "Ask him if he thinks you're pathetic."

"Why the hell would I do that? I'd sound like such a dork, that's stupid."

"I don't think Yuki would like it if you felt that he thought of you in a certain way that he really doesn't." Tohru said sincerely, she folded her hands on her lap and gave me a small smile, "He would want you to see yourself the way he does. I think that would make him very happy."

I kept my mouth shut and tried to accept what she was saying- but she was getting my hopes up and it wasn't helping.

"I can't make him happy." It was true. What was in it for him over liking me? I was so harsh and cold… I am spat on; I was disgusting… how could someone be happy with me?

"But you do want him to be happy, right?"

I kept my eyes away from her and examined the dirt beside my face. "Yes."

"Then he is."

I looked over to her, confused.

"If you have someone in your life that you care about, and in return all they want is to make you happy… what would you have to be sad about? When you have a person looking out for you, wanting you to smile, to laugh, to feel it from your heart… how can you be sad then if you have that person for yourself?"

I thought about that… and if what she was saying was true, then maybe I do have a chance at making him happy. "Is that how it works?"

I felt Tohru looked at me curiously, but I kept my gaze away, "Is that how you care for someone?" I furrowed my brow, "You just… help them see themselves the way you do?"

"It's unconditional," Tohru said gently, "You accept every part of them, you don't ignore anything about them, you can't. You don't help them hide the parts of them that they hate, you help them come to peace with themselves, you help them love themselves by showing them that they can be loved. Every part."

I felt my heart beat stop.

"Is that… what love is…?" I asked silently.

"I… I don't know a lot about love…" Tohru said carefully, "But I know that a friend, a sister, a brother, a child, a parent… and that one certain someone… none of them should have conditions for your affection, and none of them should hold conditions for yours. Love should be effortless, and gentle."

I could almost feel Tohru's soft smile, "It's beautiful, and it hurts. It's not just another feeling- it's something special, unavoidable, unexplainable. It's when you'll forgive someone no matter what they do to you, it's when you can never think one horrible thought about them without hating yourself, it's when all you want… is to protect them from being hurt, and you'll do anything to do that, it's when you can't be disappointed by them." I looked over to her slowly, and saw one small tear roll down her cheek as she smiled at the sky, "That's how I loved my mother. And that's how she loved me."

I watched her as she smiled… it wasn't a sad smile, it was… happy. She was happy… she lost the person she loved with all her heart- and she can still smile.

I opened my mouth, "Did you ever… hate her?"

She looked over to me and I held her gaze, "Didn't you ever hate her for leaving you?"

The confused look on her face was whisked away by another effortless smile, "How can I hate her when she loved me the way she did?"

I felt a sharp needle stab a tiny hole into the beating flesh of my heart, "I… I would hate them." I said slowly, "If someone I loved… if they died, I would hate them for leaving me."

She gave me another small smile, "If you loved them, they would still be with you."

(Yuki's POV)

I shifted my limp body in the warmth and comfort of my sheets, and reached my arms past my head in a long stretch. I rubbed at my tired eyes before opening them. The sunlight wasn't spilling into my room like it usually did in the morning, but when I looked out of the window there was nothing but sun light every. I rolled my sheets off of my body and pushed myself off of my bed, stumbling my way over to my desk. I reached out and lifted the small clock up to examine it.

I was taken aback that it was past noon- had I really been that tired? I ran my hand through my hair and sighed, feeling my stomach clench in hunger. I put down the clock and stepped over my sheets, which were spilling onto the floor from my bed. I sleepily made my way out of my room, down the hall, and I descended the stairs into the kitchen- my head foggy from my wonderful sleep.

"Yuki-San!"

I looked over to see Tohru cheerfully smiling at me with a duster in her hands, "How are you? Did you have a good sleep?"

I gave her a sleepy smile, "Yes I did, Miss Honda, thank you." I looked around and notice how the furniture was absent from the house, "… Oh, that's right, you're cleaning the house out today- I'm sorry, I had forgotten…"

"Oh no! Please don't apologize- you slept through breakfast and lunch, you must be starving! Would you like me cook you some food?" She made her way eagerly to the fridge, but I raised a hand-

"It's alright, Miss Honda, you are doing enough work already, I can make it myself-"

"Feh, yeah right."

I watched as Kyo emerged from behind Tohru, wiping his forearm across his brow, "You'll burn down the house."

"I'm not about to let Honda-San put more effort into keeping us in a liveable condition, if that's what you thi-"

"I wasn't suggesting she cook for you, rat, why would I want her to slave over you?" Kyo made his way over to me and opened a cupboard door and noisily took out a pot, "_I'll_ cook, since you suck at it."

I felt somewhat defensive- but the blush overcame that feeling, and I watched as he put the pot down on the stove and started to prepare me some Udon. I watched as he looked over to his shoulder to Tohru, "Whaddya doing? I'm cooking for him so you can keep working on the house!"

"Oh yes!" Tohru suddenly snapped back to reality and her determined face was back on, "I'll get right to it!" And she vanished from the room.

I put a hand over my mouth to stifle a yawn before I leaned against the counter beside Kyo and the stove, peeking into the pot, "You know what you're doing?"

"Don't start complaining, it's either my cooking or yours." He said keeping his eyes on the food he was preparing.

"I'm not complaining." I was too tired to complain… I haven't had such a good sleep for a very long while, and for some reason I still found myself to be a bit tired.

"You were out of it long enough."

I looked over to him, "I was more tired then I thought." I let my head loll to one side, "It was such a good sleep…"

I could feel his eyes on me, so I looked over to him. He looked like he had something on his mind… I shifted and tried to figure out what he was thinking about but he looked away from me. I opened my mouth, "What?"

He kept his eyes on the pot and just shrugged, "Nuthin."

"Tuh, you're exhausting." I rested my head on his shoulder.

"H-hey what're you…" I heard Kyo stutter, "You just slept through the whole morning and you're _still_ tired?"

I lifted my head off of his shoulder and threw my head back, "I'm waking up."

I leaned my back against the counter and waited patiently as my mind slowly began to function properly- and then I heard Kyo switch off the burner. He reached up and grabbed a bowl from the cupboard, poured the contents of the pot into it, and slid a drawer open to place some chopsticks into the bowl.

Then he held my food in front of me, a slight tint of pink on his cheeks, as I slid my hands around the sides and took it from his hands with a small appreciative smile, "thank you."

The slight tint on his cheeks turned more defined, so he shoved his hands onto his hips and looked away, "Yeah, whatever."

I pinched the noodles with my chopsticks and brought it up into my mouth, eagerly taking a bit of Kyo's yummy cooking.

I swallowed, and was impressed by how deliciouse it tasted- I gave him an appreciative smile, and Kyo looked away with a stubborn blush.

**-End-**

**AN-** thank you for reading, if this is any good please **!Review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**AN-** I can write 100 chaptas? That is _awesome!_ but I wont drag the story out that long no worries (flaps hand) gaaa sorry for putting this up late. I will try harder! Thank you everyone who has reviewed, you've made me much more confident in this. please enjoy:  
(Fruits baskets is not mine.)

-future **AN**- I said that then... and I'm nearly there now... I really need to get my act together, this is riddiculous.

_**Chapter Thirty One**_

(Kyo's POV)

"TO THE LEFT, THE _LEFT_ DAMMIT!"

"It's _your_ end that needs to turn!"

I felt my biceps start to ache from all the effort I was putting into moving Shigure's work desk back into place, the soft skin of my palms being pinched painfully together at the grip I had on the piece of furniture.

"Why the hell aren't the drawers out of it!?" I was pretty sure that it was the drawers filled with all the paper, books, hentai, or whatever the hell Shigure kept in them that was weighing the desk down so much… I had a much less difficult time taking it outside on my own.

"That was _your_ idea, you stupid cat!" Yuki grunted as his end of the desk lowered slightly.

"Then let's drop the damn thing and take them out!" I heaved the desk further along.

"If we drop it now, my fingers will get crushed," Yuki pushed the desk further against me and I had to put a lot of effort into not losing grip on it as I stumbled back a step.

The desk bashed into the edge of the wall, and I stuck my knee underneath the desk to keep it from crashing to the floor.

"Dammit, where's that damn dog when you need him?" I felt the edge of the desk press sharply into my thigh and I lifted it up higher with my arms and pulled Yuki along with me as I took a few more steps backwards.

"Don't go so fast I'm going to drop it!"

"Stop being such a pretty boy!" I half snapped, half grunted. "If this work is too manly for you, go make some damn tea!"

I felt the edge of the desk ram into my diaphragm and the sudden weight through me off balance- and I stumbled onto the floor, the desk's overbearing weight knocked the wind out of me when it landed painfully on my stomach, "WADDA HELL, RAT, GET IT OFF!" I wheezed out the roar.

"I'm sorry, was that too manly for you?" Yuki said sarcastically as he kept his side of the desk up, "Now get yourself up and finish moving this desk!"

"The desk is _on top of me_ if you haven't noticed!" I tried to push it up- and managed to get it a centimetre off my body until my biceps started quivering painfully in the effort. "Gaaa- a little help here maybe!?"

"You want me to drop the whole thing on you?" Yuki said, his voice strained from the effort to keep his side of the desk up, "Just crawl out from underneath it or something!"

I took his advice, and started shifting my legs out from underneath the looming desk. When I finally had my lower half perpendicular to my upper body, I let the desk drop and heaved a sigh as my muscles twitched.

I heard Yuki grunt in effort, and shoved myself up to help him lower his half. When we finally had the desk down on the ground, I put my hands on my hips and examined it's position- it was on the threshold to Shigure's office room. I nodded, "That'll work, right?"

"I'm good with it." Yuki massaged his hands as he leaned himself back against the desk. He looked better then he has in the last week- the skin around his eyes aren't as purple as they once were, he didn't look so fragile and frail, and his eyes didn't hold the tired glimmer.

I felt better myself in seeing him with his usual energy… and I moved towards him, trapping him in-between my body and the desk by placing my hands on either side of him.

Yuki looked at me with steady eyes, and I could see something flicker in them. I didn't have to worry about being gentle with him now that he wasn't falling asleep every few minutes.

So I leaned forward, and boldly pressed my lips against his.

Yuki was inert for a second before I felt him lax and return my kiss… and I doubted instantly that he has never kissed anyone before, cuz he was fricken _amazing_. It was like someone have grabbed a hold of my stomach and was squeezing it with delightfully warm fingers.

It was so easy to loose myself in him…

_Brrrrriiinnnnggg_

The telephone rang, but it wasn't the mechanical noise that had startled us apart, but-

"I'll get it!"

"GAAH!" Yuki shoved me back ineffectively as I stumbled back myself, and our heads snapped to the doorway where Shigure had swiftly abandoned our show.

"SHIGURE!" I roared, and I heard him pick up the telephone in mid-ring answering with an overly cheerful tone.

"Oh Hatori! Hello!"

I stormed out of his office and marched down the hall to Shigure who was pressing the telephone to his ear eagerly with two hands, "You wont _believe_ what I had the privilege to be witness to!"

"GIMME THAT, YOU DAMN PERVERT!" I swiped at the phone, but Shigure pulled himself away from me with an absurdly large smile, "AND WHIPE THAT LOOK OFF YOUR FACE!"

"You'll never guuueeeesss!" Shigure sang into the phone, and Yuki pushed in front of me and was successful at tearing the phone away from Shigure.

"Oh no Yuki- let me have some fun!" Shigure pouted but Yuki only put the telephone against his ear and ignored Shigure.

"Hello Hatori," Yuki sighed- there was a short pause until he continued, "Just being an idiot like usual." He sent an accusing glare over to Shigure who gave an innocent smile. I heard a squabbling noise from the other line, before Yuki replied, "… can't you come over here?" Yuki's voice was monotone- "Oh. Alright." His face didn't show any emotion- and he nodded mechanically, "goodbye Hatori." Yuki placed the telephone back into its holder.

Shigure leaned towards him with his arms folded behind his back, "Well Yuki? What did Hatori say?"

Yuki turned away from Shigure, ignoring him and making his way through the hallway to the stairs leading upstairs.

"Yuki?" Shigure said uncertainly.

"He aint gonna talk to you." I said stubbornly, Shigure peeked back over to me. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned against the wall, "Trust me."

Shigure frowned, and reached for the phone, rapidly dialling the number and holding it to his ear, his brow furrowed- but his intense look suddenly vanished into a gleeful smile in a second, "Hatori!"

I rolled my eyes, listening to them squabble back and forth, tapping my finger against my elbow impatiently. All of his dizzy speaking was starting to raise my aggravation until he suddenly went quiet- I looked over to him hopefully-- but he started gibbering again and I let out a frustrated noise, knocking my head against the wall behind me.

"Alrighty! Bye Hatori!" Shigure put the telephone back down, the smile quickly fading into a very thoughtful look. I raised an eyebrow at him expectantly when he looked over to me, but he just gave me a quick grin and tiptoed out of the scene.

"The hell did Hatori want!?" I barked after him, but I only heard a mischievous giggle. I growled and pushed myself off the wall. I marched my down the hall, and upstairs. I needed to get some sleep from this exhausting day.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** My vision for this story is almost crystle clear! Very proud of myself! Anyways, so I was writing this, and la kissing moment- then I put in a phone call- and something just clicked and of course, Shigure popped into my head. I could defininetly see him pulling a stunt like that. I had to put it in.  
Thank you all for reading my 31st chapta!! I give you all virtual high-fives, you guys are the _-best-_  
and please please **!Review!** I love every single one I've ever gotten, and I really wanna know what you think!


	32. Chapter 32

**AN**- kah thank you everyone who has reviewed!! I do not own Fruits Baskets, Kyo, or Yuki.  
... -sigh-  
Last night I decided to venture into the unknown- and I picked up chopsticks instead of a fork. The outcome was not as impressive as I would have hoped...  
Read and Enjoy!!

**Chapter Thirty Two**

(Yuki's POV)

I woke with a start, resting my forearm over my eyes to shield them from the sun that was bathing my room. My insides were unnervingly tight from my disconcerting sleep- I felt my fingers shaking slightly, and I let my lungs relax from its contracting tension. I rolled over to my side and let out a soft breath, nuzzling my face into my fluffy pillow-

"Are you awake?"

My eyes snapped open and I looked over to see Kyo sitting on my bed beside me, a curious look on his face. I rubbed my eyes and pushed myself up on my elbow, "Nnn."

I looked over to him through hazy eyes- and he looked back at me in an uncertain way.

"You've been talking a lot tonight." Kyo placed his hands on the other side of my legs and leaned back, locking his elbows, "I didn't know whether to wake you up or not."

I put my hand to my face and let out a restrained breath, "I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Don't say sorry to me, rat." I looked up to him, his eyes were slightly narrowed, "Who cares how I woke up- what were you dreaming about?"

I looked down at my sheets, as if my dream would be splayed across them. After a moment of scrambling through hasty memories, I remembered…

' _It was dark- I reached out my hands, but I couldn't see them. I couldn't see the walls, I didn't know how small this room was, I could only hear my breath loud and heavy in my ears- sending my pulse quivering in an unnerving way. My breath scratched against my raw throat and I tried to keep my fingers from shaking. I didn't know whether my eyes were open or not- the blackness was consuming, there were no shapes, no silhouettes, only a long withering shadow. I was alone… I was all alone…_

_I reached up to touch my face, but my hands couldn't find my face- my breath filled the air, and my blood became thick and a sickening throb gushed from my heart. I opened my mouth- "Is someone there?" My voice was weak, and seemed to be more of a gust of fog then words. "Please- is someone there? I can't find my face… please, I can't find my face…" My breathing tore through my throat and came wheezing and husky- and then, like a glimpse of heaven, I saw a white glow in the black abyss- and it took form of a hand as it came closer… and I soon noticed that the white wasn't the skin, but a bandage… the fingers that were stretched out to me, I wanted to reach them, I wanted to reach out and grab onto them. The fingers however- were shaking violently and I felt fear pierce through my veins as the white bandage around the hand began to unravel. "No- no!" My blood became thick with fear and painfully throbbed from my heart- I couldn't let it unravel, the bandage- I cant let it unravel! But no matter how much fear coursed like ice through my veins, or how much my screams echoed through my mind- it still loosen, unravelling with rapid sluggishness. I tried to reach out, but I couldn't see my hands, couldn't feel anything but the cold blackness… and soon, the white bandage around that beautiful hand began to soak itself in red, thick blood- my lungs shrunk and shrivelled until I couldn't breath- the blood was soaking through the fingers that were shaking violently like my heart-_

"Hey,"

I snapped back to reality- the sudden light I had ignored shocking me awake. I was holding my breath painfully- and tried to loosen my suddenly tight lungs.

"Don't do that, you're seriously freaken me out, rat." Kyo leaned towards me and held my chin in-between his fingers, bringing my face to his, "What the hell's up with you?"

I looked into his red irises- they were glimmering with frustration, agitation- and concern. I felt my pulse quiver at his touch, and I opened my mouth to reply, "I just feel like something… is going to happen."

The agitation in his eyes faded subtly, and soon worry shone through- but it quickly became hard with agitation once more, "Nothin's gonna happen, don't be stupid." I cast my eyes away from him, but he tugged at my chin and I was gazing back at him, "I'm serious, stop wasting your energy over stupid things! You got it?"

Maybe I was being stupid- that feeling of something looming over me, that was just an after effect from that dream… and that was easy to believe when I had Kyo's insisting eyes persuading me. I felt him tug my chin down, then up again- imitating a nod for me. I shook my chin out of his grasp and glowered at him, "Alright. Fine. It is stupid."

But Kyo furrowed his brow, unconvinced- and there was a reluctant look in his eyes.

I ran my hand through my hair and gave him an apologetic smile, "I feel better now."  
He narrowed his eyes at me, still not persuaded, and tapped my forehead with his knuckle. "Then start acting like it."

I closed my eyes and leaned forward until I felt my forehead rest against his shoulder. I groaned and let my shoulders slump, "How 'bout you stop acting so wound up in the morning." I muttered against his shirt.

"Feh," I felt his hand on my shoulder before he pushed me back down onto my pillow. He leaned over me, his orange hair framing his face, and gave me a serious look, "You're still asleep aren't you?"

"I'm awake, you dumb cat." I said in a voice fuzzy with sleep. He raised his eyebrow- and lifted his hand from my shoulder.

"Get some sleep." He pushed himself off of my bed- and panic washed through me… I didn't want to be left alone, what if I did sleep? What if I had that same horrifying dream again- and what if I wont be able to wake from it?  
In desperation I reached out and grabbed his wrist before he could get too far- and before he could even glanced behind to me, I pulled him back down onto the bed and sat myself up. His eyes were taken aback as I wrapped my arms around his neck and nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck. I brushed my lips against his skin, and lightly pressed a feathery kiss on his neck- and I wrapped my body around his, and felt him wrap an arm along my waist in response.

I lifted my face from his neck and brushed my lips along his jaw line, feeling him breathe against my hair. I dragged my hand over his shoulder to his neck and trailed my lips higher until they brushed like a breath over his warm lips. I felt his hot breath ghost across my mouth for a second, and then his hand snaked along my cheek to entangle itself in my hair before I felt his warm lips roll against mine. I lost my breath as he kissed me with anticipation, capturing my lips eagerly. I responded with equal enthusiasm, his lips wet as they played with mine.

The arm he had around my waist tightened and pulled me closer- and I soon felt his body press itself more insistently against mine, slowly lowering me down until I felt my back rest against my bed. His hand netted itself tighter in my hair and his lips rolled mine open before I felt his warm wet tongue drag itself across my lips, and I obediently opened my mouth to give his tongue easy entrance.

I felt his chest press itself against mine as his warm tongue explored my mouth, and I couldn't restrain a shutter as I exhaled sharply at the familiar, stimulating feeling. He must have felt my shutter because at the same time his breath hitched- and for a moment Kyo's chest pulled back from mine and I pressed my hand firmer on the back of his neck to keep his mouth against mine. I felt a rustle as Kyo repositioned himself while his lips stayed against mine, and when he laid his body down on mine I was comfortably trapped against the soft sheets of my bed and the warm firm body of Kyo.

The hand I had at the base of his neck combed through his thick orange hair as my other hand rested itself in-between his shoulder blades. His tongue swirled inside my mouth and my every thought became hazy as I became consumed by his touch. I let my hand trail down his back, and was awarded by his breath wavering hot inside my mouth as a vibrating shiver ran through his body against mine.

He pulled my waist tighter to his with the arm he had wrapped around me and pressed his mouth over mine, sliding his tongue further inside the cavern of my mouth. I arched my back, pressing as much of myself against him as I could, and I felt his hum vibrate against my chest from his. My hand rested at the small of his back, and I slid my hand underneath the hem of his worn t-shirt—Kyo nudged himself in-between my legs, the sheets still covering my body.

I trailed my fingernails across the soft skin of the small of his back and I felt a purr vibrate from his chest- and a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth before I felt the hand he had in my hair trail down to my jaw and trace it with his fingertips.I pushed my wet tongue against his, and his hand slid down the exposed skin of my neck to my collarbone. I felt the arm he had wrapped around my waist slide out from underneath me, and his hand rested itself on my hip.

I tangled my hair deeper inside the thick mess of his orange hair, and the hand he had at my collarbone trailed down my chest until he reached the hem of my sheets, which he tugged down. He slid his other hand underneath the sheet and rested it once more against my hip- his touch much closer underneath the sheets.  
My head was filled with the sound of our breathing and wet lips against each other. Soon I felt him tug the sheets over and off of my leg before he placed his hand on the side of my knee. I pulled away from his mouth to try and catch my breath while his washed hot against my face.

I felt a shiver ripple up my leg as his hand dragged itself up the outside of my thigh, and his tongue licked at my parted lips. I felt his hand drag back down my thigh until it coiled itself underneath my knee and lifted it so my knee was bent, his body fitting more perfectly in-between my legs.  
I felt heart surge through my veins and rush to the nether regions of my body as his hot breath flowed inside of my open mouth. I let out a wavering breath just before Kyo's lips captured mine in heated eagerness, sucking and licking with unrestrained anticipation. I felt his hand trail itself down the underside of my thigh and I felt my body grow very responsive to his heated touch-

I felt uncertainty nudge sharply at my mind—realization suddenly hit as I noticed how heated my room had become… but his touch was so stimulating, his breath so hot, his mouth so wet, and his body so firm and warm pressed against mine—and I couldn't restrain the breathy groan that vibrated from my mouth-

"Kyon-kichi!"

"Gwaa!" Kyo flew off of me and half of his body landed on the floor, "WHAT THE HELL?!"  
Shocked to an unbelievable point- I looked up to see a horribly recognisable face peer down at the frazzled Kyo—

Ayame grabbed a fistful of Kyo's worn shirt and shook him violently as he whisked his other hand across his own brow, "Why, Kyon-Kichi, I never thought you to go as low as raping my dear younger brother in his sleep!!"

I was still in shock as I watched Ayame thrash Kyo back in forth, who had a horrified look pasted on his face. Recognition shot through me and I finally found my voice in my choked throat, "Ayame! Ni-san let go of him!" I reached out- but Ayame turned on me-

"Don't worry, my dearest younger brother, I will protect you from this evilly hormonal boy!"

"G-GET OFFA ME!" Kyo's eyes were wide with horror, but Ayame was still shaking him sadistically.

"Ni-San, he wasn't forcing himself on me!" I grabbed at his grip on Kyo's shirt and was about to tare it off when Ayame suddenly stopped and stared at me, Kyo hanging limp at his grip.

"What?" His look of utter disbelief was enough to keep him from thrashing Kyo around so I took advantage of it before Kyo got his brain banged into mush.

"He wasn't forcing himself on me, now let him go!" I easily broke his grip on Kyo- who fell to the ground in a shocked daze.

"Why Yuki… you mean your anger has fuelled a passion between you two?" He pressed his hand onto his heart, "Has Yuki, my darling younger brother, finally found his heart's true desire?"

"Stop talking like that- and anyways, it doesn't involve you!" I felt anger and agitation bubble up inside of me, "And what the hell are you doing in my room?!"

He blinked at me for a few seconds- then a broad smile lit his face, "Shigure invited me over!"

-There was a moment of silence before-

"SHIGURE!" Kyo roared while he flew out of the room, throwing the door open and I listened as a high pitched squeal rang through the house at Kyo's thundering footsteps and incoherent yelling before crashes erupted throughout the house.

I clenched my teeth and pinched the bridge of my nose in between my fingers, trying my hardest to keep my breathing calm. "You… are… _impossible."_

"Ah, ah, ah!" Ayame ticked a finger in front of me, "You were going to tell me anyways, weren't you, Yuki? You were going to come to my assistance in this illogical field of Love in which you are unfamiliar- and I, being the loyal and gracious brother I am, will guide you through your confusing adolescent feelings!"

I stared at him in astonishment, my mouth partly open and my eyebrow raised incredulously. Honestly, was this guy for real? I can't believe people like this actually exist…

"Now, brother." Ayame knelt in front of me and captured my hands in-between his, looking deep into my eyes with an intense stare, "Why do you love a horribly violent boy like he, and yet you do not accept your undying love for your caring older brother?"

I ripped my hands from his grasp, "He may be ridiculous and immature, but he seems completely logical in comparison to _you._"

"Why- you don't mean that, Yuki!" Ayame gave me a smile, the violent noises from downstairs giving us background music, "If you can show your hidden love for Kyo after all these years, then why not show me the love you hold for me?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him, "I did not have any 'hidden love'- and I certainly don't hide any of my feelings toward you."

Shigure decided to choose that moment to scamper loudly up the stairs and fly into my open room and pounce onto my bed, "Ayame, help!"  
Kyo burst into the room, a fist drawing back as he flew up onto my bed- but I lifted my leg and collided it against his stomach when he was in mid-air… sending him crashing to the floor. He lifted his head, "WADDA HELL WAS THAT FOR, RAT?"

"Don't ruin my furniture!" I ordered, turning to Shigure, "And get off my bed! My room isn't a circus!"

"But he'll hit me-" I grabbed the hem of Shigure's clothing and threw him off my bed.

"Am I the only mature person in this house?" I fumed, "Get out before I kick you all out!"

Ayame whisked his silvery white locks away from his face and stood up with over exaggerated grace, "Come, Shigure- let us discus our many witnessing events over a cup of tea,"

"It would be an honour, Ayame," Shigure and Ayame swiftly blew from my room, and Kyo lifted himself off the floor and sneered after them.

"I completely forgot about him." I said in frustration, talking mostly to myself. I guess I was just so wrapped up in my own little world where only Kyo existed that I had forgotten about my insufferable older brother.

"Yeah, well- he didn't forget about you." Kyo shoved his hands on his hips, still glaring out of my room. I felt so sympathetic towards Kyo- that must have been so traumatizing. Kyo shrugged and wrinkled his nose, "Well, something had to go wrong somewhere." He turned towards me, "Isn't there some kind of demon repellent we can stick on your door or something?"

I let out a laugh at his seriousness, feeling my insides loosen from its agitation, "Good luck finding anything strong enough."  
Kyo shoved his arms across his chest and sat down on the floor, his back leaning on the side of my bed, "That was ridiculous."

I cast aside my sheets and swung my legs over the side of my bed and arched my back in a stretch. "Hey, go downstairs and make sure they don't go making up anything." I said as I ran my hand through my hair.

He glared over to me, "Why don't you go? He's your brother!"

I glared back at him, "Because I'm going to get dressed- I'll be down in a couple of minutes… or can't you be away from me that long?"

A disgusted look scrounged up his face and he shoved himself up onto his feet, "Don't be stupid, you rat! I'm going downstairs!" He stormed his way out of my room and slid my door shut behind him. I let a small, amused smile tug at my lips. I pushed myself off of my bed and sleepily made my way to my closet, picking up some clothes from its messy pile on the floor.

I glanced back at the door to make sure no one was peeking in before I slipped out of my clothing. I tugged on my morning clothes and ran my hand through my hair as I slid open my door. I walked sleepily down the hallway and entered into the washroom. I turned on the tap and ran my fingers underneath it until it grew cool before cupping my hands and splashing my face. I turned off the tap, dried off my face and brushed my teeth.

Afterwards I looked up at my reflection- and furrowed my brow. My cheeks were slightly flushed from agitation, bashfulness, and the slight after effect of my recently aroused state. My hair was messy, mused from Kyo's fingers and all the commotion that had it on end. My lips were rosy from Kyo's hot mouth, and my violet eyes were slightly hazed over from sleep- but I found myself to be waking up quite quickly.

I sighed, turning away from my reflection, and left the bathroom to go downstairs.

"God, I hate mornings."

**-End-**

**AN-** AND ENTER AYAME!! I've been thinking about putting him in here for a while. I finally got to do it! That was unbelievable fun... but I keep on having perverted men walk in on their 'alone time'... How else to glorify Ayame's character? Anywha, I really hoped you enjoyed this! and please **!REVIEW!**


	33. Chapter 33

**AN-** ga- I tried to put this up yesterday, but it didn't feel right... so I spent the whole night re-writing it. It's better, and I really hope you like it!  
Thank you everyone who has reviewed, you guys are awesome.  
(No owning of Fruits baskets is going on here)

**Chapter Thirty Three**

(Kyo's POV)

Sunday had passed in a flash- Yuki and I had our hands full keeping Ayame and Shigure in order: it turned out that when I went downstairs they had already started swapping stories that involved chains, outfits, garters, and "bathing in milk"…- what the HELL was that?

I nibbled my lip, at least Ayame chose that moment to interrupt- that was the closest I have ever gotten to Yuki, and it felt so amazing. I wanted more of it; I wanted to bring that feeling as close to me as I possibly could…

I peeked through the corner of my eye over one desk to Yuki- who seemed to be examining his desk as if something captivating was tap dancing an important message across it. I snapped my eyes up to the front and clenched my fists and dug them into my knees. The air was suffocating- it was as if the only oxygen in the room came from Yuki's mouth. I was completely aggravated with the power he had over me. I would have thought that over the time I had spent with him that I would become used to the way he captivates me- but no, of course not, it's only made this uncontrollable feeling even more uncontrollable.

I let a frustrated growl ghost from my throat and I slid my body forward on my seat to rest my neck against the backrest of the chair. I glared up at the ceiling, trying to concentrate on finding a pattern on the dull ceiling. The weekend was over- and that meant dull boring classes, obnoxious crazy fangirls, irritating old teachers, creepy students, and being around Yuki with all of them.

I glanced over to Yuki again at the thought of him- and saw him looking back at me through the corner of his eye, his chin tucked in the shield of his arms that were folded on his desk. I felt a sudden blush erupt on my cheeks- I turned away from him stubbornly, shoving my hands behind my head and trying to ignore him, but I could almost feel his smile in the air.

"Alright," I heard the teacher announce, "The school year is almost over- and our homeroom will be holding a celebration."  
There was a murmur of excitement that waved through the room before the teacher held up her hand to settle us down, "Yes, I know, it's exciting- but of course, we need to finish exams first, and there will be no celebration unless everyone puts their best into them- got it?"

This time the murmurs that ran through the room were agreeable. I had no idea school was so close to being over; I hadn't given a thought to exams. I should probably start studying as soon as I can if I want to do any good- I've been skipping more classes then usual, and whenever I'm in them my mind seems to be somewhere else.

"I'm going to go and scan a few pages of work- don't turn into a bunch of animals while I'm gone." The teacher left, and Yuki and I both mumbled, "-try not to."

"Alright! A celebration," Arisa walked over to Tohru, Hanajima, Yuki and I, before she leaned against my desk, "What do you think it's gonna be?" she openly asked.

"Just a stupid classroom full of stupid people and stupid food, probably." I rested my neck back onto the back of my chair, "She's just tryin' to get us to pass those exams."

"Ya know, I think it'll be stupid if you do come, so why don't you stay home," Arisa gave me an instigating grin, "or maybe you'll come if Yuki's fangirls make him put on another dress."

My eye twitch as a sudden provoked image formed in my mind-- "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, YA DAMN YANKEE?" I bounded up on my chair and cast a shaking finger at her, "I would so kick your ass if you weren't a girl!"

"Stop making up excuses, I'll kick your ass right now!" Arisa challenged, and I shoved my sleeves up to my elbows, pleased to have a justification to slam her face in.

"Alright, bring it on! But don't go crying to anyone when I break your jaw!" I flamed, and she grabbed the collar of my shirt as I grabbed the collar of hers. "I'll knock you so high you'll be in orbit with the sun!"

"I'll punch you so hard that you'll wanna swap spit with Prince Yuki—oh, no, wait, you already do!"

"Why you little bitch! I'm gonna kil-WAA!" I felt my chair lift from underneath me and I crashed down to the floor, the side of my head cracking viciously against the hard ground. I put a hand to where it hurt, and lifted myself up- spotting Yuki placing my chair back down on the floor casually.

"Wha- wadda hell was that for!" I pushed myself into a sitting position and he sighed, looking over to Arisa.

"Arisa-san, please don't bring me into any of your arguments." He crossed his legs absent-mindedly.

"Are you alright Kyo?" Tohru popped up in front of me with that panicked, concerned look of hers. I rubbed my head and glared at Yuki.

"Fine." I pushed myself up and glowered down at him, "I'm gonna kick your ass too, Rat Boy, so don't get cocky with me!"

He leaned his head back and looked at me through his violet eyes, "I wasn't being cocky, you're clumsy nature just makes it seem that way."

I braced one hand on the back of his seat and one on his desk, leaning forward and closer to him, my eyes dangerous and narrow, "We'll see who's clumsy when you hit the ground."

He tilted his head closer to mine, "I'm looking forward to it."

"You guys are weird- I thought you reached a truce or sumthin at least-" Arisa said in a befuddled voice, bringing me back to the classroom. I turned my head towards her, not moving away from Yuki.

"Hey- just cuz I put up with more of his shit then usual doesn't mean I'm gonna turn into a wuss!" is everyone thinking that? What a bunch of morons- I'm still gonna beat him. Granted, it's for a different reason- but I will win.

The bell chose that time to break through to air- and I jolted upright. Everyone around me cheerfully made their way out of the room, various students saying bye to Yuki, and I glared at all of them. Have they ever even talked to him before? The brats.

I felt the chair I had my hand on push back, and I looked back as Yuki stood up, "Can I get through or do I need a password?"

I pushed myself away and made my way through the classroom, hearing Tohru, Arisa, Hanajima, and Yuki following me- a pleasant conversation picking up between them.

I made my way to the entrance door and kicked it open, Arisa catching and holding it before it closed on the rest of them.

"Aren't you the gentlemen, runt."  
I whipped around to that blonde girl, "Don't call me runt, ya damn Yankee!"

"Then how 'bout you start holding doors open for people?"

"What, are you handicapped or something?"

I felt a hand press itself against my face and push me back as they walked forward, "Don't get carried away, Kyo."

I recognised Yuki's voice and stumbled back a few more steps, his hand still on my face as the rest of the group kept walking.

"He's awfully obedient."  
I slapped Yuki's hand off of my face and whipped around, "YOU SAY THAT AGAIN, YA DAMN YANKEE, AND I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Actually, I'll have to agree with Uo-san… you're waves are quite-"

"ENOUGH WITH THE DAMN WAVES!"

"Don't yell at Hana, you little punk,"

"I'LL YELL AT WHOEVER I DAMN WELL WANNA YELL AT!" I roared, my volume tickling at my throat. Yuki pitched the bridge of his nose in between his fingers and let out a long sigh and I turned, pointing a finger at him, "AND DON'T YOU SIGH AT ME, YA DAMN RAT!"

Everyone in the group groaned.

"Ah, there you are Kyo." I turned around to see Haru strolling forward, his hand slinking into his pocket, accompanied by a bounding Momiji as they made their way over to us, "I thought I heard you from inside my classroom."

"What were you doing in your classroom after class?" I shot, agitation steaming from my head- Haru waved away the smoke.

"He spilled acid over the floor during science," Momiji piped, "I helped him clean it up!"

"You spilled acid?" Yuki turned to Haru.

Haru shrugged, "Actually, the teacher was being a bit pessimistic about my performance."

"So you splashed acid at her?!" Everyone gasped.

"I don't suppose it matters." Haru walked past the frozen group, "It didn't hit her anyhow."

The group started walking to keep up with Haru after glancing amongst each other, a conversation picking back up in-between everyone. I trailed silently behind, trying to calm down the agitation that was bubbling inside of me- soon I strutted past the group and smacked Haru in the head.

"Hey Punk, don't pull anything stupid while you're here." I harassed, shoving my hands into my pockets and looking down at him, "I aint gonna deal with you if you turn black again."

He rubbed his head absent mindedly, "Oh, I didn't turn black. I was just curious."

I stumbled foreword a step, "Wha? You were _curious?"_

He nodded indifferently, and I opened my mouth to shout at his stupidity when I heard a most unwelcoming voice…

"Kyo?"

I stopped dead in my tracks, and barely recognised Tohru's squeak as she halted just before hitting my back. Fear coursed sharp like ice through my veins and my eyes bulged out of my sockets- my blood pulsing in my head as I turned my neck, having it creak like old machinery until…

"K-Kagura?" I whimpered weakly. There she was- at the entrance gates to the high school, leaning against the bars with large, sad, sparkling eyes until-

"KYO!" She bolted it towards me in blurring speed the dust picking up behind her and I let out a childish scream and booked it in the other direction-

"KYO! Why are you running from ME?" She insisted as we both ran laps around the school field- my heart was pounding against my ribcage in absolute horror and if I had enough breath to scream I wouldn't be doing it in my head- but she was catching up! She was catching up Dammit! Why was she so damn fast?! I double backed, Kagura skidding past me, and ran back towards the group- but I felt her grab at my shirt and I twisted frantically, still running, until I reached Yuki who I grabbed by the shoulders and pulled in front of me, using him as a shield against Kagura.

"Kyo! Kyo, aren't you happy to see me!?" She tried running around Yuki but I circled, not letting her anywhere near me,

"NO, YOU DAMN WOMAN, LEAVE ME ALONE!" I shoved Yuki to the left just before Kagura could whip past him.

"Hey-hey, you two- stop it!" Yuki said frantically, suddenly brought into the situation, but Kagura roared and ran in circles with me pulling Yuki along too.

"Make her go away!" I pleaded.

"KYO!" she wailed.

"Kagura, please calm down!" Yuki panicked, "And Kyo let go of me!"

"You kidding?! She'll kill me!!" I said in a horrified voice, pulling him back into me as Kagura tried reaching past him.

"Tell me it's not true!" She shrilled, shoving herself against Yuki to reach me, but I pulled Yuki back further, "Tell me you don't like him when I've always loved you!"

I froze in my steps, and felt Yuki's shoulders go stiff. Kagura's eyes watered and she folded her hands underneath her chin, "Do you, Kyo? Do you?"

I felt panic shutter my body, but I let the agitation take control, "I LIKE EVERYONE MORE THEN YOU, DAMMIT, NOW LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"K-Kyo…" Her voice turned tiny and her eyes glistened with fresh tears as I felt my face scrunch up in disbelief, "how can yoU SAY THAT TO ME?" She grabbed Yuki and threw him out of the way and I felt her fist collide with my shattering Jaw and I flew through the air behind crashing against the cement ground- and she was on top of me shaking me viciously by the collar while screaming at an aching volume that I might comprehend if my brain wasn't crashing painfully against my skull-

--

(Yuki's POV)

"I'm sorry, I just heard it from Shigure and I needed to know for myself." She said with a sweet voice as she graciously accepted food that Tohru passed over to her,  
"Don't feed her!" Kyo barked at Tohru who gave him a startled look- and I watched as a can of pop flew through the air and I shot my hand out and caught it before it hit Kyo in the head. Kyo, baffled, turned on Momiji, "WADDA HELL? You trying to through stuff at me, you damn brat?"

"Don't be so mean, Kyo!" Momiji said as Arisa and Hanajima took a suspicious sip from their cups, silently observing.

"Momiji, please don't throw things." I put the can of pop down on the grass and picked up my own beverage, slinking into the background once more. Kagura didn't barge in while Kyo and I were alone- so I didn't have much to complain about. I was planning to just sit back and let Kagura fight it out with Kyo however they wanted to- as unfair as that sounds, since he also took the rap with Ayame...

"It's really nice to see you so soon," Tohru said kindly to Kagura, and Kyo let out a "pssh" before shoving his arms across his chest and glaring in the opposite direction.

"Thank you, but I'm sorry for creating a scene."

"Better be, now the whole raps gonna be taken out on us!" He shot at her- and she grabbed a painfully tight fistful of his hair before thrashing his head back and forth. I flinched at how much abuse Kyo was getting- first from Ayame, now Kagura… grateful that all I had received so far was a creepy hand-holding moment from my brother.

"K-Kagura!" Tohru squeaked, reaching out uncertainly. Kagura gave her a startled look before placing her free hand to her mouth.  
She let go immediately and let out a small giggle, "Oops, I'm sorry, I get kind of carried away don't I?" that's an understatement.

"So… you heard from Shigure? Does that mean you were over at our house?" Tohru asked enthusiastically.

Kagura gave her a smile but shook her head, "I was over at the main house, and overheard Hatori, Shigure, and Ayame talking- and then I heard that Kyo and Yuki had finally started to get along well… um, I mean started to _really_ get along well..." She tapped her chin as if reminiscing over what they had told her and something in my brain clicked-

"Whatever they said it was not true!" I quickly cut in, Kyo right behind me,  
"There wasn't any outfits, chains, or bathing in milk!"

A cool wind blew through the air where everyone's hair went limp… I twisted my neck to look at him incredulously along with everyone else, just as confused about that comment as the next person.

"You… had Yuki in an outfit and chained him in a bath of milk?" Arisa asked bluntly.

Kyo's eye twitched briefly before- "I JUST SAID I DIDN'T!"

"You weren't being very _convincing_, cat," I reached over and hit him on the head, still puzzled at where he got that idea from.

"Wow, Kyo, I didn't think you could get Yuki to do something that kinky." Haru mused- Momiji looking back and forth through us, asking what was going on- I was glad his mind was innocent enough not to pick up on this stupidity.

"I wasn't in any outfit!" I said sharply in my defence, everyone's eyes blinking at me, "Or chained, or in a bath of milk, wherever that one came from," I shot a look at Kyo who's hair frizzed up in agitation and he opened his mouth in defence,  
"They were talking about it downstairs right after I left your roo-"  
I lunged over the space between and slapped my hand onto Kyo's mouth, completely horrified at what he had let slip out.

The whole group went dead silent and I hung my head in defeat at how perverted we sounded with each other. "Just… Shut. Up."

The rest of the lunch, Kyo and I both kept our mouths closed as much as possible- every day just seemed to get more and more ludicrous, and I was honestly feeling overly exhausted from it all. After a while of chatting with Tohru, Haru, Momiji, Arisa, and Hanajima- Kagura couldn't keep her attention away from Kyo any longer and threw herself on top of him in a bone crushing hug, rambling weird things that my brain wouldn't let me understand, thankfully.

I watched as Kyo's fists began to shake dangerously. I could think of many things I could say or do- but I decided to keep myself silent. Instigating Kagura probably wouldn't be the best thing to do right now, seeing as Kyo was just about over his head trying to control his rage.

I folded my hands around my drink and took a sip, trying to block out all the noise and restrain an amused grin that was tugging insistently at my lips. I was actually quite entertained at Kagura's abusive affection- I'd laugh if Kyo wasn't in so much agony from it all.

The bell rang through the air and there was a murmur of disappointment before everyone around us pushed themselves back up onto their feet. Kyo shoved himself up- just to have Kagura cling to his arm, which he cringed away from in disgust. I lifted myself up from the grass and watched as everyone started to evacuate back into the school. I walked back, hearing Kyo grumbling at Kagura's sweet words from behind me- glad that they couldn't see my amused smile displayed over my face.

"I said get offa me!" I heard Kyo snap, "Don't you get it? I don't like you!"

I composed myself before glancing over my shoulder, "Kyo, be nice." The look on his face was of such utter disgust, that I had to restrain a smile that he would find offensive.

"Hey, why the hell don't you help me out here, ya damn rat!" He shook his arm, but Kagura clung to it tighter, giggling at Kyo's wasted effort. "Ya think this is funny?"

"It's good to have some healthy competition sometimes." I gave him a smile, and saw his eyes grow gentle towards me- before he seemed to snap out of it, giving a heated 'humph' before tearing his arm away from Kagura and storming past us both to the school. I walked along, watching him storm further and further away from Kagura and I. It was only a few moments after that she fell in step with me.

"I don't get it." Kagura said mournfully, slumping her shoulders, "I've loved him for so many years- and he chooses the guy who beats him at everything." She sighed, "What did I do wrong?"

I slipped one of my hands into my pockets, "I don't think you did anything wrong… it's just a bit hard for Kyo to accept affection, and I suppose he never got used to yours."

"Never got used to it… or never wanted it." She said glumly. She peeked over to me, "Is he that way with you sometimes?"

I decided not to lie to her, "Well, he kept running from me for a while… but it wasn't me who was making the move on him. It was more like he was running away from his feelings instead of running away from mine."

I felt her gaze on me, "So he… he was scared of what he was feeling with you?"

I bit my lip, "I'm not sure… there's still a lot about him that puzzles me."

"Is he still like that? Running away?"  
I felt a small smile tug at my lips, "No. He told me one day that he liked me… and he was going to run away, I saw it in his eyes, and he would've gotten away if I hadn't stopped him." I tilted my head thoughtfully, "And then I told him I liked him in return."

I reminisced over the moment… the warm sun, that look in his eyes, how he tried to be all masculine about it all, the flutter of my heart, the blush in my cheeks…

"What did he do?"

"Hm?" I glanced over to her, pulled back to the school grounds. She was looking up at me perplexed.

"What did he do when you told him you liked him?"

I let a small laugh escape my lips as I remembered, "He thought I was mocking him. I had to grind it through his head for a few moments."

She nodded in agreement, "I know what you mean. Thick, isn't he?" She tapped her head and gave me a wide smile. I nodded back before her smile faded and looked thoughtfully back at me, "And then what happened?"

I looked at my shoes as they walked me forward, then I cast my eyes up into the clear blue sky, foggy clouds veiling it in random places- the sun glimmering off their silver lining. "He gave me a hug."

I had gotten a few paces ahead before I noticed that she had stopped walking. I turned around, a bit puzzled, and looked at her bewildered expression.

"He… He gave you a hug?" She asked in a voice that matched her face. I looked at her thoughtfully as her eyes wondered down to her shoes, "H… he never gave me a hug."  
I walked back to her and looked at her gently, I understood how wierd it was... that Kagura has always proclaimed her love openly to Kyo, and all I do is tell I like him, and he shows me more affection then he has to anyone else. I don't think I'll ever understand. "Kyo only gave me one-- he doesn't hug people."

"But he hugged you…" she brought her hand up to her mouth, "He has to feel so comfortable around you." She said with a pensive voice. I couldn't help but feel utmost flattery- but I brushed it aside.

"He only did it because I was teasing him about it." She looked up at me and I gave her a soft smile, "He'd do anything to prove me wrong."

She looked at me and scanned over my face as if she was seeing something she'd never seen before. "You… you really like him, don't you?"

I felt the shocked look on my face, at a loss of words... and turned away, making my way back to the school. She caught up with me easily, "I've just… never seen you smile so much."

I felt a blush flame at my cheeks, but Kagura continued.

"And I think… that Kyo likes you a lot too."

I felt a horrible pain stab at my organs… I had stolen Kyo from her. Every hope she had at being with Kyo… I felt like I had just crushed that into a million irreplaceable pieces.

I looked at her, "I'm sorry."

She looked longingly at the school for a while as we walked in silence… but then I heard her voice speak up- and it was sincere, "Don't be sorry. You did me a favour."

I looked back to her in subtle surprise, and she carried on with a thoughtful look on her face, "He never did accept my love, did he?" She gave a sad smile, "It made me very sad. Because I felt like he didn't believe that anyone could like him, or love him at all. That he would never let himself love, or even like anyone in return." She directed her sincere gaze towards me, "But today… I think you proved me wrong, Yuki." She reached out, placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and gave me a small, sincere smile-- her eyes glistening with tears, "Thank you."

She turned and I watched her leave with a new air around her- it was more... free. like something inside of her had finally been laid to rest.  
I only then realised how nearly deserted the school grounds were- and I hurried to get to my next class.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** nnst, I dont really like writing these chapters... but i'm still glad I did. Thank you for reading, and please **!Review!** - the next chapter is coming...


	34. Chapter 34

**AN-** ooooooh. wow. took me long enough to get this up... but I think this is my longest chapter, so hopefully it's worth the wait. I've re-written twice. edit edit edit then re-wrote it again. this is what came out of it. everyone who has reviewed- hwaa you guys are the best. and some of them were so amazing-- thank you so much!! I really needed to be whipped in shape here, thank you for keeping me in line. Alright, enough- my foolishness is over with. On with the story!!

**Chapter Thirty-Four**

(Yuki's POV)

I was making my way around the deserted school to my Student Council session, and when I got to the door I twisted the knob, pushing it open. The first thing that caught my eye was a gleeful girl swinging a basket around.

"Look what a nice boy gave Kimi!" She sang in third person to Manabe, "He gave Kimi some popery! He's been in love with Kimi for three years!" She swung the basket around, "Isn't that sweet?"

Manabe chewed on his pen and leaned out of the way as Kimi swung it dangerously close to his head. I slid inside and closed the door silently—but the effort was pointless since Kimi's boy-radar was at the usual max. She spun around and gave me a huge smile.

"Yun-Yun! Do you have a present for me?" She asked enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming.

I sighed in my head and walked away from the door, "No, Toudou-san,"

She faced away from me, "You never buy me presents… and you never call me Kimi." She spun around to me again, "You don't like me, do you, Yun-Yun?" She said with tears sparkling in her eyes.  
I flinched back in shock- "U-uh, no, you're a very nice girl-"

"Kimi, Yun-Yun's in love with someone else, silly!" Manabe popped up and knocked her basket out of her hands, sending it falling to the floor with its contents spilling. Kimi pressed her hands to her face and gave out a wail before turning to Manabe.

He gave her a giggle, then jumped up on a desk as she shot herself towards him—and so classroom was minutely destroyed by their barbaric game of tag, the occasional piece of popery flying across the room. I pressed myself against the wall, avoiding the spastic girl—and not too eager to crash into Manabe, either.

Sakuragi chose that moment to make his dramatic entrance—the door flew open with a gust of wind catching a few pages from the pile in his arms. He twitched his eye at all of us as Manabe and Kimi froze in the middle of pulling hair and stuffing Popery in each other's mouths. "ALRIGHT!" He barked, everyone flinching as he slammed the door shut, "We are WAY behind, I will not tolerate any slacking! The end ceremony of the school year is nearing and we are the one's responsible for the preparations-"

"Chibi-Suke!" Kimi and Manabe sang in unison as they bounded towards him- Sakuragi's strict face broke with horror before every single paper in his arms went flying to the ceiling at the sound of his helpless scream.

I pulled out a chair and slinked into it, resting my fist against my temple—oddly used to this situation. Which was not a good sign for my health.

"PICK THAT UP! PICK THAT _UP!"_ Sakuragi fumed, but his efforts were put to waste as Manabe ruffled his hair, ranting over how over-dramatic he was—not like he was one to talk or anything. I blew out a breath, staying quiet and waiting for someone to put an end to the fighting, since I was definitely not going to get involved in any of that ridiculous behaviour.

I turned my face to the window… secretly wishing that I could be somewhere else…

(Kyo's POV)

I pushed off the ground with my feet and avoided tripping over one of the roots that were sprouting out of the dirt. I felt the fresh air burn inside of my lungs as the sweat glazed over my skin, my breathing even and filling my head. I let a drop of sweat slide down the side of my cheek and along my neck, ignoring the tickling sensation as the warm breeze rushed against my face and slid through my hair.

I sprinted my way through the forest, weaving through the trees and bounding over the occasional root and plant as I veered off the path. I felt my heart hammer against my ribcage, my leg muscles tense and release as I pushed myself further into the woods. It was after school—and I really needed to let out all of my energy fuelled by my aggravation. Kagura was the last person I was hoping to see—and she just decides to show up at school, of all the damn places.

I gritted my teeth together and pushed myself faster. I knew she had to have said something to Yuki after I stormed off—I was fuming about him too, it seemed like I was the only one getting abused over this whole damn thing. Because of course, nobody wants to hit Yuki or slam his brain against his damn skull.

I felt my heart begin to throb inside of my throat, and I shot to my left before changing direction again to make my way back to the house. I felt the muscles in my legs, and my tight lungs begin to burn—and it helped release some of my aggravation. I only slowed my pace when the house came into view, lowering my speed to a soft jog, then gradually a walk. I felt the muscles in my leg twitch and I took deep intakes of air to try and catch my breath. I lifted my forearm and shoved it across my face, feeling my sweat coating my skin. I tugged at the collar of my t-shirt, the heat almost making it uncomfortable. I jumped up onto Shigure's porch, ignoring how he was sitting at his desk, peering at me through his glasses.

"Good run?" he asked casually, as I crossed my arms over my stomach, grabbing at the hem of my t-shirt before pulling it off of my slick chest.

"Oh ho- shouldn't you be saving that for Yuki?"

I tugged it over my head and slammed my shoe against his desk- making his computer wobble dangerously, "Shut up ya damn sicko!"

"Take off your shoes!" He said, as I stormed my out of his office, ignoring him. I stomped my way to the kitchen- and saw Tohru scrubbing quite viciously at a few dishes. I threw my shirt over my shoulder and made my way over to her.

"If you do that any harder, you're gonna break them." Tohru squeaked—unbeknownst to my approach and the plate crashed onto the floor. We both looked down at it in silence, the pieces sharp and scatter amungst our feet.

"… ya see." I mumbled, glancing over to her. She slapped a hand to her mouth and I could feel the tension heighten rapidly-

"OH NO! I am so sorry! I am so so sorry, I broke the plate!" She pressed her hands against the sides of her cheeks in horror.

I sighed and bent down on the balls of my feet, "You really get out of it whenever you do something, don't you?" I pushed the shards of the plate into a pile-

"Oh no wait- you'll get cut! I'll get a towel!" Tohru ran over to a drawer and slid it open in a panic.

"I'm not gonna get cut-" I scooped the pile of broken pieces into my hands as Tohru returned to me with a towel opened over hers. I spilt the shards carefully onto the towel, and she wrapped it up before shaking the pieces into the wastebasket with a muffled clatter.

I pressed my hands against my knee, pushing myself back up. I ruffled at my slightly damp hair, "I'm gonna take a bath." I strolled across the kitchen and leisurely made my way up the steps. I listened to my steps as I made my way down the hall- briefly stopping at my room to kick off my shoes and toss in my damp shirt. I wiped my hand off on my sweatpants before twisting the knob and opening the bathroom door. After closing myself in, I ran the water cold and slid out of the rest of my clothing. I ran my hand through my damp wind-blown hair as I put my hand under the water until I felt the temperature was satisfactory enough.

The sweat on my body became sticky against my skin and I eagerly slid myself into the cool water. I slipped my head under the water and ran my hands through my hair easily before resurfacing, shaking my head of the dripping water. I cleaned myself fervently; finally relaxed for the first time today. Before the water could wrinkle my fingertips I pushed my dripping body above the water, splashing water over the floor as I stepped out before drying myself off.

I slipped my sweatpants back on and tossed my towel over my shoulder as I escaped from the bathroom, shoving my door open and kicking at my shirt before closing it again. I pulled my pants off, grabbing at a clean pair of pants and slipping a fresh shirt over my head, tugging it over my stomach.

I slipped my feet into my shoes before exiting my room and descending the stairs… usually by now that Rat would be downstairs, asking Tohru about her day, or at the dining table doing his homework—but when I had got to the kitchen, Tohru was the only one preparing supper. So I made my way over to the dining room- sliding it open to be greeted by a lonely table. I looked over my shoulder to Tohru, "Where's Yuki?"

"Oh…" She looked up at the clock; "He's usually home by now, isn't he?"

I turned around and leaned against the doorframe, "He isn't home yet?"  
She shook her head, and I grumbled moodily. All the relaxation I had accomplished from my bath suddenly evaporated, replaced by impatience. He stayed there late enough as it is—but now he sticking there even longer then usual. He's probably on his way home by now, though. I walked across the room, hallway, and into Shigure's office. I stood at the door way- glaring at Shigure who kept his eyes on me. I stubbornly marched my way over to the porch and slumped myself down, resting my back on the hard wood.

I kept my eyes on the openings through the trees, impatient to hear what Kagura had said to him. I felt the tapping of computer keys as Shigure continued his novel, ignoring me in return. I lay there for a while, my hair drying in the warmth of the sun-- but soon I glanced over my shoulder to the clock on Shigure's desk, which told me I was only there for a long ten minutes. I turned back around and tapped my fingers impatiently against the wood.

"If you're that worried, why don't you go get him?"  
I scrounged up my nose, "Who's worried?" I kept my eyes glued on the trees. I wasn't worried; I was just a bit agitated. Why the hell would I worry about him—all the angry animals were after me, anyways.

I let another few minutes pass by until the rest of my patience shot out of my system. I shoved myself up and hopped down from the porch.  
"I'm going for a walk_."_

I marched off into the trees, but not before hearing him mutter, "Finally."

(Yuki's POV)

I placed down my pencil and stretched my fingers, trying to ease the slight pain that was tightening it from a day of scribbling on paper.

"We should have a talent show!" I heard Kimi continue. The three of them were trying to figure out what to do for the End of School celebration, and I decided to work on the less social things that no one seemed to want to take care of.

"Kimi, you're talent has to be PG." Manabe pointed out, "There will be kids there."

"Oh." Kimi gave a giggle, "what a silly rule- next idea!"

"We should have a costume party!" Manabe said enthusiastically before bounding up on a desk, "And we will have Sensei direct!"

I snapped back into focus, "NO! He's not coming!" I said sharply. I knew that what Manabe meant by Sensei was Ayame—and I was not very happy with that person right now. Manabe jumped down and strutted his way over to me. I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"But he is so amazing! He is a god among us idiotic children!"

"Speak for yourself." I said firmly, "He's not coming, and that's all."

"But Yun-Yun--"

"I'm not budging on this," I stated, "And calling me 'Yun-Yun' isn't going to help persuade me."

Manabe turned away from me stubbornly, "You're so cruel to me, Yun-Yun."

"Stop calling me Yun-Yun."

"Stop your squabbling- Sohma-kun, if you're going to open your mouth, at least come out with something productive." Sakuragi said coldly. I sighed and rested my hand against my face.

"Chibi-Suke! Why are you so cold to Yun-Yun?" I heard Manabe's voice carry further away as he approached Sakuragi.

"Don't call me Chibi-Suke!"

I looked up eagerly at the clock, and let out another sigh. Everything in this room was dysfunctional—it was definitely not fourth period.

"I think the clock's broken again." I pointed out, interrupting Manabe and Kimi who had started to throw around her now destroyed popery once more. Kimi looked over to me, then up to the clock. Sakuragi grumbled off in his corner, hidden by stacks of paper.

"Oh! Kimi will go look for another clock!" She rushed over to me and leaned over my desk, making me pull back abruptly, "And then Yun-Yun will repay Kimi by getting her a present!"

"U-um, actually, it's alright I can go and-"

"Get me some yummy flowers!" Kimi interrupted before fleeing from the room, leaving us three a little puzzled.

Manabe sat himself up on my desk and picked up the piece of paper I was working on, "Oh no, Yun-Yun, looks like Kimi's got her claws on your wallet."  
I reached over and took the paper out of his hands, "What wallet." I tucked the piece of paper to the bottom of my pile and picked up my pencil again, "I'll get her a key chain or something…"

Manabe picked up my pencil from in-between my fingers and threw it up in the air before catching it, "I dunno, Yun-Yun… she sounded pretty pumped for those 'yummy flowers', I'd play it safe and get her some."

"I don't know what 'yummy flowers' are though," I reached out and grabbed my pencil as Manabe tossed it back into the air. I furrowed my brow in confusion, "Does she mean it as a verb or a noun?"

"Or an adjective…" Manabe said mysteriously, stroking his chin.

I looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, "An adjective?"  
"They're _sneaky._" He peered down at me through suspicious eyes, "and sometimes… I get the feeling you're on _their_ side."

I flinched back, "What? The _adjectives?"_

He nodded solemnly, and I sighed before shoving him off of my desk, hearing him land on the floor gracelessly. I was honestly starting to believe that making sense would cause him serious injury, the way he was avoiding it.

"I know!" Manabe shot up from the floor, pointing a finger at Sakuragi, "We should have Chibi-Suke wear a white bunny suit, shut all the lights off and lock everyone in the school- and the only way out is to use the key!"

"And how does the bunny costume have any reference, you Beka?" Sakuragi sounded as he pushed a pile of his papers apart to glare at him.

Manabe placed his finger on his chin and give him a crooked smile; "It will be easier to spot you in the dark if you're wearing white."

"Why would they want to find _him."_ I asked incredulously, Sakuragi shooting a glare at me, which I ignored.

"Because the Key will be in his stomach."

I slowly turned my neck with a creak and looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, "And how are you going to get a key inside his _stomach?_ Do you expect us to claw it out of him?"

"I will be assigning that mission to you, Yun-Yun." Manabe strolled back over to me and sat himself back on my desk.

"Don't involve me in your ridiculous ideas," I was getting a bit over-whelmed by him—

"If you don't I'll tell everyone your dirty little secret."

I looked over to him in shock- dirty little secret? What is this guy talking abou-

"That you're a woman, Yun-Yun!" Manabe reached over and ruffled my hair- I squirmed underneath his hand, but he only shoved both hands into my hair and furrowed it around.

"H-hey stop it!" I swatted at his hands wishing for someone to save me from this until-

"Aahk!"

I looked over to see Manabe being pulled off my desk and my eyes caught sight of an unmistakable bright orange-

"Kimi saw him wondering around the school!" Kimi popped up behind Kyo as he looked down at me with a fistful of Manabe's shirt still in his grasp, "He said he was looking for Yun-Yun!"

She leaned toward Kyo, and he flinched away from her, scrunching up his nose.

I was still in a bit of shock seeing that my wish had been granted right at that moment…

"What are you doing here, Kyo?" I asked, bewildered. He pushed Manabe into Kimi and reached over to my desk, ensnaring my wrist with his warm, soft hand and pulled me up from my seat, "I came to get you, dumb rat."

"Who the hell are you?" Sakuragi marched across the room, "You're not allowed in here! Get out now!"

Kyo opened his mouth to snap back at him, but Manabe cut in quickly- "Aw, Chibi-Suke, don't talk to Yun-Yun's friend like that!"  
Kyo didn't release my wrist, "Why the hell are you calling him 'Yun-Yun'?"

"It suits him, doesn't it!" Manabe beamed, "I was the one who thought it up-"

But Kyo was already pulling me towards the door, and I slipped my hand out of his grasp, "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you home, stupid."

"I still have work to do," I turned away from him and slid back into my seat, "I'm not going home yet."

"You've been here for four hours!" Kyo snapped.

"You're over-exaggerating—and don't come here trying to drag me out." I picked up my pencil and ignored him until his hand slammed down on the paper in front of me. Kyo glared at me as he leaned in close: "I came all the way back to this damn school to get you- so let's _go_."

His persistent immaturity was really agitating me, "If waiting bothers you so much, Beka, then _leave_. I'll be finished soon enough." I got a good grip on my pencil and brought the led down hard on Kyo's hard, "I don't feel like being bossed around by you right now."

With a stubborn glare, Kyo slid his hand away from my desk, a small, purple dent in his flesh from where I stabbed him. I turned my focus to my work and waited for the grumbling, cursing, storming, and the slamming on a door- but when I didn't catch any of it, I glanced up to see Kyo leaning against a near by desk, his arms stubbornly crossed, glaring at the wall.

He was seriously going to stay?

I cast my eyes quickly back down to my work and carried on.

"So… You're Yun-Yun's cousin?" I heard Manabe stroll over to Kyo- who didn't reply, so Manabe continued, "You don't look alike."

"We're cousins, not brothers." I pointed out as I scratched in a few words on the paper.

"Don't you guys fight a lot? Why are you picking him up?" Manabe pressed, and I could almost feel the static come from Kyo's body.

"Because they're secretly best friends!" I heard Kimi pipe in, "Hey- you're handsome! Do you have a girlfriend?"

I glanced up at that- and saw Kyo glaring at Kimi before casting his gaze back at the wall.

"Aww, why don't you talk to me?" Kimi pressed.

"He's not very social, Toudou-san." I said, trying to get Kyo out of any more agrivation.

"Yun-Yun why don't you ever call me Kimi-- Oh he's so cute! I love his hair!" I watched as Kimi reached up to touch his hair- Kyo jerked back and wrinkled his nose at her. I was quite surprised at Kyo's behavior- I would have expected him to go yelling and throwing desks by now but… he seemed to really be trying to controle himself. I gazed at him, as if the answer would appear on his face if I looked long enough… Was he behaving himself because he saw himself as being in my territory?

"Hey, you're name is Kyo-Sohma right?" Kimi piped cheerfuly. Kyo twisted his neck the other way, trying to avoid her, leaning away, "Kimi will call you Kyon-Kyon!"

That caught his attention, he snapped his head back to her and gave her a disgusted look, "Don't go naming me!"

Kimi was compeltely thrilled with Kyo's reaction- or more the fact that he was reacting to her. That was definitely not going to help his situation.

"Kyon-Kyon! Yun-Yun hasn't given me any presents!" Kimi complained, and I saw Kyo let out a frustrated noise-- but she continued, "Does he think someone's prettier then me?"

"He doesn't hafta buy you any damn presents." Kyo said, putting effort into simplyfing his rant- but Kimi kept on going.

"Does Yun-Yun like somebody else?"

Kyo's eyes widen and he looked away- and that was the wrong reaction, because I watched Kimi go ecastic: "He does? He does!"  
And so Manabe took his entrance, "Yun-Yun is in love?!"

I set down my pencil loud enough to have everyone's eyes on me.

"Alright, Kyo, I'm finished." I pushed myself up, happy to end the topic. I wouldn't have been able to finish my work anyhow with Manabe and Kimi distracting me with their conversation with Kyo. I stacked the paper, lifted them up and tapped them on the desk, "And please don't talk about me like I'm not here."

"We didn't know you could hear us," Manabe said in a startled voice, I looked at him incrediously.

"I'm not deaf!" I placed the paper down on my desk before walking around it. I made my way past Kyo to the door but something stopped me-

I felt a hand grab onto mine and I turned to see Manabe looking at me with a serious expression. He stepped closer to me, "I can't let you leave yet, Yun-Yun."

I felt myself sweat at how scary his intense gaze was, and I would've ripped my hand away from his if I wasn't in shock.

"Yun-Yun… I… am in love with you."

"YA DAMNN PUNK!" In a flash Kyo was infront of me grabbing an aggressive fistful of his shirt and I saw his elbow shove back in preportation to punch him-- I reached out and lached my arms around his elbow and restrained him before he could hit Manabe.

I watched as Manabe's suddenly shocked face turned into an amused expression. He gave Kyo a smile and let out a light-hearted laugh, "It's alright- I was just joking."

Kyo tried to rip his elbow out of my grip, but I kept it there in knowledge that he would still try to deck Manabe for tricking him- but I have to admit, it's not that hard.

Manabe glanced over to Kimi, "I think we have solved a great mystery!"

"What mystery!?" Kyo barked as I pulled him behind me, not releasing my firm grip.

"Would you stop aggravating him? I've got a hard enough time trying to keep his temper down without you two." But I saw Manabe give me a smile.

"Just leave!" Sakuragi barked from his corner. Gladly, I walked out of the room, pulling Kyo by the elbow until the door shut behind us.

"Well, you didn't break anything." I said as we walked down the hall, Kyo ripping his elbow moodily from my grip.

"I would've broken his damn jaw if you hadn't been such a damn pansy." He growled, still heatedly put off about Manabe's declaration.

"He was joking, he's always pulling stuff like that."

"_Everyone's _always pulling stuff like that." His voice burned. I looked over to him- he was really angry about it. I couldn't help but smile at how flattering his territorial nature was… but at the same time, it was still immature and aggravating.

"You shouldn't go beating someone for no reason." That type of attitude was going to get him in trouble, and I was not willing to have that responsibility put on me, it was just stupid.

"Well, you seem to be alright with it." He fumed, "Never complaining, are you?"

"Don't be stupid, Cat." I glared at him, "I already told you, there's nothing I can do about it."

"and when there's something I can do you hold me back?"

"If you dare punch anyone over that, I will hang you off the roof for a week." I said in a dangerous tone, "Why are you so territorial?"

"Second nature." He growled. He was really upset about this… I decided to be a bit more gentle with him. He deserved a break- I couldn't blame him for being so uptight, today must have really been hard on him.

"You know… it doesn't mean anything to me when they say things like that." I said softly. Kyo's eyes were still glaring ahead through his orange hair.

"Whatever."

"It only means something to me…" I watched him closely, "When you say it."

I saw the glare from his eyes soften up a bit from it's lazor mode. But he still didn't seem to be very relaxed.

I sighed and turned away from him, "whenever you do say it." I mummbled, mostly just to myself.

He rarely did say it, though- whatever 'it' was. It didn't really bother me—since he would show me instead of verbally declaring anything. Kyo's never been the guy to confess his more intimate feelings- so I was pretty lucky whenever he would run his hands through my hair, or give me a smile… I usually got stuck with either a stubborn touch or an aggressive kiss- which I definitely wasn't complaining about. That's the way Kyo was, and it sent shivers down my spine- and I wouldn't change it for the worl-

I felt something warm and soft slide around my hand, and I looked down in shock as Kyo's fingers wrapped themselves around mine.

I looked up at him in surprise, to see him still glaring- but with a gentle look in his eyes. He shifted his gaze momentarily over to me, then quickly back to watch where he was going. I felt a massive blush burn at my cheeks-

He was… Kyo was… holding my hand.

I stared at him- that was a completely unexpected reaction to what I said… I thought he'd stab something at me over being stupid and girly. I felt my hand quiver slightly under the warmth of his… I don't ever think.. that I've ever held someone's hand before…

"What're you staring at?"

I was brought out of my daze with Kyo glaring at me. I felt the blush still on my cheeks and looked away muttering, "nothing."

"God, stop being such a girl." (there it was.) He fumed, "s' not like I'm buying you any damn flowers."

"If you do I'll beat you over the head with them."

"N' I'll fill them with insects before you do."

"I'll wear gloves."

"I'll wear a helmet."

"I'll lit them on fire."

"I'll pour gasoline over them."

"I think I would notice the smell."

"You'd be too shocked to notice the damn smell."

I was smiling, "Yeah, I would be."

I could see a tint of pink glow over his cheeks- then Kyo slid his warm hand from mine and pushed open the door— I didn't miss the fact the he held it for me, and how he just let it fall at lunch. Neither did I miss how he used it as an excuse to let go of me- but I wasn't offended, he actually held onto me longer then I would have assumed he would. He held my hand… and that's all that mattered to me…

But I wasn't going to let him distract me that easily, "you know, you cant just come and interrupt my classes."

"All I was interrupting was that punk crushing your skull." Kyo retorted as we made our way across the school field.

"I was working before that."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked over to me, "Big deal, you got the whole week to work on it."

"And I assume that if I go over time at all, you'll be bursting through the door with a hook and chain to drag me back home?"

"You got the weekend."

"No, I don't. I've got plans."

Kyo looked over to me with a confused expression, "What plans? Since when?"

"I have my check up with Hatori soon- I'm not sure when, but it could be this weekend."

I saw realization hit him, "Oh… is that why he called that…time…"

The memory of his warm body pressing mine firmly against Shigure's desk before the phone rang played in my head- but I forced it out quickly, "Yeah, and frankly, I don't want to be spending my weekend doing homework." I brushed off the unimportant topic and narrowed my own eyes at him, "Why'd you come anyways? Miss me that much?"

He wrinkled his nose at me and turned away, "No." He said stubbornly, "It was past the time you usually get home, and I was bored, so I decided to come and get you. If it bother's you that much, then come home on time, you stupid rat."

I slid one of my hands in my pocket; even though I was being a bit apprehensive about how he came to get me, I was actually quite relieved- I felt like another fifteen minutes in there and I would be blowing my brains out… and it wasn't often Kyo would do something like this. I walked along beside him as we made our way home together.

"About… lunch."

I looked over to him- he still had his hands shoved in his pockets and he kept his eyes glaring at the ground, "Kagura… she didn't say anything to you… did she?"

"Like what?" I asked curiously. I saw Kyo's jaw set then relax.

"I dunno… anything stupid." He kept his eyes cast downward, refusing to look at me. I thought back to lunch and what Kagura had said to me when we were walking back to the school alone. I tried to hide a small smile.

"No. Nothing stupid." I watched as he seemed to relax, and I opened my mouth again, "But I would rather it if you didn't use me as a shield against a charging boar."

"Hey- Hey she was gonna kill me!" He pointed out, finally looking at me with insisting eyes, "You don't know the half of what she's like! She's evil!"

"She's a girl, Kyo," I teased. Inside, I agreed with him- she was extremely scary, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a little amusement, and I loved how easily frazzled he could get.

"Hey- if she were a guy, I'd kick her ass!"

"His."

"What?"

"His ass."

"Whose ass?" Kyo fumed, "What the hell are you blabbering about!"

I rolled my eyes, "Never mind, genius."

"You starting a fight, rat?" I knew he'd be a bit wound up since Kagura's appearance today and Manabe's performance. It seemed I was the only one he could take out his frustration on- but that was fine with me. It's actually been a while since we've had a fist-fight, and I was curious if he'd gotten any better.

"What if I am?" I gave him a sly smirk, "Not like you could finish it, could you?"

"I can finish anything you wanna start!" Kyo barked at me.

"Hm? You think you can beat me?" I kept my grin on in amusement, "After spending lunch running away from a girl?"

"Alright, that's it! It is _ON!"_ Kyo rounded on me, the tree's forming a boarder for our fight as he slunk into an aggressive position, "I'm not gonna go on your easy, Rat!"

"Good, I'm looking for a fair fight," I slid my body into my own threatening position, "I'd like to see you finally apply yourself."

We stood there for a second, both of us looking into each other's eyes- and what I saw took me a bit aback: Instead of the usual rage, anger, and fury I saw shining in them- there was resolve and determination.

"You're move." I nearly whispered- and in a split second I saw Kyo's body roll back before he advanced to me in blurring speed, his fist shooting through the air- the speed didn't exactly take me off guard, but I dodge it just as it skimmed against my hair. He twisted his body and threw a kick at me, which I dodged again before he threw four immediate punches at my face and diaphragm- I dodged his every move, but with every swing he gave me, I had to bring my guard up one notch higher then before. Whenever I could catch a glimpse of his face I saw that it wasn't distorted in rage and fury- but it was completely smooth with concentration… the way I had imagined it would be when I had watched him practice his training the day he bit my hand.

It was like his motivation had altered- like he was fighting for a different reason. I ducked one of his punches and slid to my left as he kicked terribly close, missing me by mere inches. I didn't throw a punch at him- I wanted to see how close to hitting me he could get.

I didn't hear any enraging growls rip from his throat, or any frustration roars from deep inside his chest- the only sounds that filled the air were our breathing, pulsing blood, and the swishing of Kyo's flying fists. The forest air filled my lungs with it's refreshing scent- but it was still a bit hard to breath when I was so astounded by Kyo's talent. I knew he was a black belt, and so he would have to be pretty impressive- but when it came to me, he always seemed to be nothing but an amateur… but right now, he was keeping me on my toes more then before, having me avoid stalling- never giving him one opportunity that I wasn't so sure he would miss…

I blocked his shot with my forearm colliding against his wrist, and with my decision planted firmly in my mind, I left myself open and awaited for Kyo's fist to collide for the first time against my untouched face- his arm drew back in blurring speed and he shot it with amazing speed through the air to my face until-

I felt my heart stop.

I could feel the heat of his fist against my cheek as he kept it a mere twitch away from my face. I blew out a breath I had been holding- feeling it flow back onto my face from Kyo's fist. His red eyes were shining and radiant, and my blood pulsed thick through my veins. I stared at him… he didn't do it. He didn't hit me. Why didn't he hit me?

His breath blew from his parted lips, and I could almost feel his fist quiver. I searched his eyes- all the determination, all the resolve- it washed away like water over ice… and in its place, and I saw something that almost scared me…. He was looking at me like he had never seen me before… like he was laying his eyes on something he's been waiting for all his life.

Keeping my eyes on his, I slowly turned my neck until I felt my lips brush against his knuckles- where I planted a small kiss that was more of a breath.

I saw his fist quiver- and then he dropped it.

He turned away from me, his chest rising and falling with adrenaline. After a few seconds, he began walking down the path aligned by trees, sun shimmering against his vivid orange hair mused from the wind of our fight.

I reached my hand up and grazed my fingers along the cheek his fist nearly bruised…

"You coming, rat boy?"  
I looked up at Kyo, who was glancing at me from over his shoulder.

"I'm not gonna wait." He turned back around and shoved his hands casually inside of his pockets. I blew out a breath that had been clinging into my lungs and made my way to catch up with Kyo, who has been spending most of the day waiting for me patiently.

He kept his hands deep in his pockets.

**-End-**

**AN-** Alright. thank you fer reading. I am so exhausted from burning brain cells over this, I'm too tired to rant about stuff here. please review


	35. Chapter 35

**AN-** god. took me what, three days to do this. I had writter's block, but whenever that happens I get a whole splurge of ideas-- so dont worry, I will be updating faster now. I'm sorry for the wait... and everyone who has reviewed, thank you so very much,

**Chapter Thirty Five**

(Kyo's POV)

"You think Shigure's home?"

"He was there when I left." I said absent mindedly, "Why, does it matter?"

"It might."

I glanced over to Yuki who had an indifferent look on his face, "Hey- you think he got off a bit easily?"

"About the whole Kagura thing?" Yuki said, "More then easy, depending on what you did to him."

"Haven't done anything yet."

Yuki looked over to me with a startled expression, "What- nothing?"

"Nope." I popped.

"Why not?" He said incredulously.

"Well, I've actually got a few ideas." I said with a pensive voice before I looked over to him, my eyes sparkling with anticipation, "Y'know, tie up his arms and set him loose in the forest—preferably around three in the morning."

"Don't be so uncivilised." Yuki said with an air of dignity before he looked over to me with a sly smile shining through his eyes, "Keep him untied- he'll put up more of a fight. Otherwise, it's just boring."

"You know… I'm starting to think you aren't half that bad."

"So soon?" Yuki gave me a smile.

I felt the sides of my lips tug in response.  
The warm fresh air filled my lungs as Yuki and I finally walked into the clearing occupied by our home. All the aggravation, irritation, rage, and jealously that was coursing through me all day long had somehow seemed to dissolve the moment my fist had stopped itself cold before colliding against Yuki's cheek. That was the closest I have ever gotten to punching that rat… and I couldn't do it. I think that he meant to give me an opening. But whatever happened, something inside of me just… clicked- a sort of realization, like I had been blinded from the start.

I glanced over to him through the corner of my eye.

A sudden… light.

I heard a growl stir inside of my stomach. I had forgotten that I hadn't eaten anything since my run, and it was definitely around suppertime.

"I knew it." I heard Yuki say and I looked over to him, "You ate him."

"The hell I did," I wrinkled my nose, "You made us late for supper."

We climbed the front steps and I reached out eagerly to open the door—the delicious smell of Tohru's cooking filling the air. I stepped out of my shoes as Yuki closed the door behind him and slipped his own off.

"Honda-san, we're home." He called as I walked eagerly towards the smell, leading to the dining room. I reached out to open the door when suddenly it slid back-

"Kyon-Kichi!"

"GAA!" I stumbled back and collided against Yuki, who steadied me by putting his hands on my shoulder. I watched as Ayame shoved his fists on his hips and let out a ringing laugh.

"WHAT THE HELL'S HE DOING HERE?" I pulled Yuki in front of me who was too shocked to resist.

"See? I told you he went to get him!" I heard Shigure say as he leaned into view from his spot on the dining room floor, a proud smile on his face. The damn traitor-

"Why, Shigure, you are most foreseeable." Ayame opened his arms wide, "Yuki! I, your brother, have come to visit you with unfailing devotion! Now, we must embrace!" He lunged forward to Yuki, who suddenly disappeared from in front of me and before I could even react—

"GET HIM OFF!! GET HIM OFF!" I screamed along with every fibre of my body as I felt Ayame's arms hold me to his chest-

Ayame leaned back just enough to looked at me and the uncomfortable closeness made me cringe in horror as he blinked, "Why…" Suddenly a huge smile broke out on his face, "Yuki! Now I understand why you never want to be close to me!"

I felt my eyes twitch spastically as I leaned as far away from his as I could in horror-

"You change into Kyon-Kichi whenever you are embraced by a sibling! No wonder you would want to keep such a thing secret!"

"WHAT THE HELL'S THAT MEAN?"

"Don't worry, Yuki, I shall take your secret to the grave!" He shoved me closer to his body and lifted a finger high into the air, "NO ONE SHALL EVER HEAR A WORD!"

"I'M NOT YUKI, GET OFF OF ME, DAMMIT!" I shoved my elbow away from his chest, curled my hand into a fist, and threw it against his face- feeling the hard impact of his cheekbone against my knuckles as I finally escaped his suffocating hold. I slammed my back against the wall- and spotted Yuki staring at me from a few steps away.

"YOU!" I pointed an accusing finger at him, "YOU DAMN RAT, I BLAME _YOU!"_

"Stop blaming me for your lack of reflexes, Cat."

Ayame blinked from the ground as he spotted Yuki—and then gave a smile and outstretched his arms once more, "Beloved Yuki, you have changed back!"

Yuki and I both marched towards him, grabbed at his clothes and hauled him across the floor- "It is so lovely to be seeing you two days in a row, Yuki, isn't it such a wonder that we are bonding so well, you must be so relieved to have such a knowledgeable brother here to guide you throw such passionate times-"

We tossed him over the threshold of the front door and Yuki slammed it shut before storming back to the dining room where we glared dangerously at Shigure—who shrugged innocently and gave us a nervous smile.

(Yuki's POV)

I framed my forehead with my hand and let out a frustrated sigh, "Is there a reason at all why you're here, Ni-san?"

I heard Ayame set down his dish, "Why, yes, Yuki. I have come to offer you my assistance."

Kyo and I both looked questionably up at Ayame who was giving me a very unnerving smirk.

"What… assistance?" I asked cautiously. Ayame gave a chuckle and dabbed at his mouth with his napkin.

"Tell me, Kyon-Kichi…" Ayame laced his fingers underneath his chin, "How close are you with Yuki?"

Kyo leaned in with an incredulous look, no doubt as astounded by Ayame's strange behaviour as I was.

"I TAKE IT!" Ayame sat straight up- making all of us jump in surprise before he continued- "That you, indeed, have not explored all of the many pleasures of first love!"

"First…love…?" Kyo and I both repeated, weak with puzzlement.

"Ah, Shigure…" Ayame lightly placed his long fingers on his forehead, "You have brought these children up with such ignorance… how will they ever experience what we have without the knowledge that they desire deep inside their ever growing minds?"

"Ayame, I am only the house owner." Shigure lifted his hands in a shrug, "Besides, half the fun was finding it out for ourselves, wasn't it, my dear friend?"

Ayame smiled at Shigure, who smiled back—then they reached out their thumbs up in unison, "Al-right!"

Kyo bashed his head against the table, rattling the dishes as I pinched the bridge of my nose, both of us sighing in frustration. Not this again…

"Um—Ayame-san, would you like some more food?" Tohru asked quietly from her spot beside me, having kept silent throughout the whole situation.

"Ah no, no, I am quite full! You're cooking is so delicious; I must have you come and cook for me over at my shop! I have the perfect outfit for you to wear while making me some of you're scrumptious-"

I picked up my glass and splashed my drink at him, "Don't talk to Miss Honda like that."

"Aha! Yuki, you show your affections in such strange ways!" Ayame laughed as he wiped off his face with the napkin, turning to Kyo, "Doesn't he Kyon-Kichi?"

"Don't talk to me! -And don't call me Kyon-Kichi!" he fumed.

"Ah, so back to the topic! Enough with all the distractions!" Ayame flapped his hand as Kyo and I both muttered, "You're the one being distracted."

Ayame leaned towards me, "Yuki, I will be needing your measurements."

I blinked at him as Kyo did the same, "What… for…" I asked cautiously.

"For your dress of course!" my brain turned into cold metal as he continued, "I told you that I will assist you in you're search through you're newly discovered passion-"

Kyo and I both reached over at the same time and managed to deliver a hard punch in sync, "I'M NOT GOING TO WEAR A DRESS!" "HE'S NOT GONNA WEAR A DAMN DRESS!"

Ayame lifted himself off the floor, his cheeks red with the impact of our fists—but he looked over to Kyo- "Oh… I'm sorry," He gave a smile, "Kyon-Kichi, so you're Uke are you? Then I will be needing-"

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" we both roared, our faces amber red from rage, embarrassment, and infuriation as we jumped up before Ayame laughed and ran out of the dining room.

"THE HELL, SHIGURE_!"_ Kyo roared at Shigure, who was sipping innocently at his cup.

He flapped his hand at us, "Well, Aya will be Aya!"

"'Aya' and you will be _dead_ if you ever bring him over here _again, _got it?" I said dangerously as Shigure huffed a sigh.

"You two are always so wound up." He placed down his dishes.

"ONLY BECAUSE OF YOU!" Kyo fumed, grabbing his dishes, "I'M GOING TO BED!" he left the dining room with his temper.

"Ah- Yuki, before you leave, you might want to find Aya… he could be caught in the trees somewhere."

"Good." I said coldly, picking up my plates as well, "He could do with some fresh air. Just let him hang there for a few days." I made my way to the kitchen, but turned around to a startled and frazzled looking Tohru, "Thank you for the dinner, Miss Honda, I'm sorry that Kyo and I were a bit late."

She put on a smile, "N-no that's alright… but I don't really think we should leave Ayame-san out there all night…" She brought her fingers up to her mouth, looking nervous again.

"Please don't worry," I reassured her, "If it gets too cold, he'll change into a snake… anyways, how about I help you clean the dishes?"

Tohru nodded with a smile, and lifted herself off the floor. I helped her collect the dishes and utensils before carrying them into the kitchen, which was clear of Kyo, who had no doubt already fled to his room. We had gotten through half the pile before Tohru finally brought up the conversation,

"It was very nice for Ayame-san to come and visit you." Tohru said gently, in the nervous manner she had whenever she felt like she was touching on a personal subject.

I brushed it off with a gentle smile, "I suppose so… but I would rather if he would have a more sensible reason for coming."

"Maybe… he just wanted to see you." She said gently as she dipped her plate into the soapy water, "And he felt like he needed a reason… so he made one up."

Tohru was always kind, thinking of the positive motive for someone's actions other then the cold, selfish ones… I usually always jumped to the negative reasons. It was hard for me to believe a good reason, for anything, even. Not just Ayame.

I lifted my plate out of the soapy water and rinsed off all the bubbles before drying it in a towel. "He just likes to be involved with everyone's lives. Especially if there's something interesting going on."

"I… I don't have any siblings." I looked over to Tohru as she continued, keeping her eyes on cleaning her dish, "But if I did… I would want to know everything about them… and if I heard that they found someone that made them happy, I would want to see that too."

I felt my bones suddenly creak to immobility and a blush creep up into my cheeks. _'someone that made them happy'_…

I looked over to Tohru, and watched her hands scrub gently at her plate, "Ayame sounds like… he really wants to be a part of your life, Yuki."

I couldn't deny that small flicker of hope that tickled against the walls of my stomach, but my cold guard that I pulled up at the subject of my brother extinguished it. I hated to be so hostile… but the wall I had built up at the sound of his name was not going to be easy to tare down. I was already exhausted left and right from how that wall got lower and lower whenever Kyo came around, I didn't feel like I had any energy to deal with that gaping hole in between Ayame and me that he was so determined to fill.

I knew why he was doing it… and it wasn't for me.

"I'm sorry, dinner must have been quite exhausting for you tonight." I said as I washed the last dish inside the sink, Tohru drying off her hands.

"Oh no, no, I was really glad to see Ayame, he's always so nice." Tohru said with a genuine smile, "I've been so lucky to see him two days in a row! I was very happy to see him again."

I looked over to her, "Then I am glad that he came."

Tohru looked over to me and gave me a shy smile, as I returned a gentle one to her.

(Kyo's POV)

I made my way down the stairs, scuffling up my hair as I blinked myself awake. I reached the refrigerator and opened it, my hand grabbing for the milk but all I caught was thin air. I blinked a couple more times, staring at the empty place where my milk had been just yesterday. I frowned, then closed the refrigerator door closed, "SHIGURE! WHERE'S THE DAMN MILK?" I hollered, now in a disturbingly annoyed mood. And just to top it off, I turned around to see someone leaning against the wall.

"It should be there!" Shigure called back, his voice muffled by a few walls.

I blinked a few times…

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?" I barked, then spotting the carton of milk on the counter beside him I stormed over and snatched it up, "DON'T DRINK MY MILK!"

"Kyo? Is everything alri-- oh Ayame! Hello! You stayed the night!" Tohru came into the room with her cheerful morning smile.

Ayame gave her a glimmering smile and waved to her, "Why Tohru! How was your sleep, fit for a princess?"

"WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO HER?" I cut in, my morning mood going as sour as my milk probably was, "GET OUT OF HERE!"

"Tut, tut!" Ayame patted the top of my head and I felt my hair stick straight on end, "No shouting in front of the princess, Kyon-Kichi!"

"DON'T CALL ME KYON-KICHI!" I roared, my skin nearly sticking up from agitation as well, as I tried to slap his hand away.

"...Why is there noise…"

"Oh, Yuki-san! Good morning!" Tohru pleasantly greeted from behind me. I turned around and saw Yuki enter the kitchen, his hair still a matted mess from his sleep, his uniform and tie on with less attention then he usually gave it. He placed a hand against the edge of the counter and rubbed at his eyes.

I hadn't noticed that I was staring at him until Ayame snapped me out of it with his loud voice, "Yuki! So good to so that you have awoken!"

Yuki seemed to pop in recognition of the voice- his body stiffened in a second and he snapped his head up to look over at Ayame and me. He blinked a few times before, "You're still here?" He said in an astounded voice.

"Oh yes! Kyon-Kichi was sharing his milk with me!" Ayame reached out to pat my head again, but I ducked out of the way, snarling at him territorially with my milk to my chest.

Shigure chose that moment to enter the kitchen as well, "Ah, looks like everyone's up."

"YOU!" I jabbed a finger in his direction, "YOU LET HIM STAY!"

"Well… he was being pretty persuasive, I couldn't say no." Shigure shrugged with a smile as Yuki and I twitched our eyes at them.

"Did you sleep well, Yuki?" Shigure asked. I looked over to Yuki, and he seemed pretty wide-awake now, his eyes no longer glazed over and his body straight, expression attentive. I noticed, though, that he wasn't anywhere near as alert when he was dressing—his top button was in the wrong hole on his uniform shirt.

"Before I was woken by screaming, yes, it was fine."

I tipped the cartoon to my lips and hungrily let the milk flow into my mouth, its bitter smooth taste sliding down my throat. I felt instantly better as I took it away from my mouth.

"Kyon-Kichi is very lively in the morning!" Ayame said with enthusiasm, "and quite grumpy, I do feel sorry for all of you who have to put up with his temper."

I had to really concentrate on not crushing the carton in my hands as I spun around, "YOU'RE THE ONE THAT MADE ME GRUMPY!"

"I was only joining in on some breakfast! You must not scorn a human for doing all they can to survive!" Ayame pointed at as Shigure agreed audibly. I clenched my free hand into a fist and walked over to where Yuki was standing. Blocking out Ayame and Shigure's conversation, I put the carton of milk down on the counter, grabbed his uniform shirt and moved him in between the counter and me. I ignored his look of surprise as I undid the top button of his shirt before quickly doing it up properly for him; "Don't do things when you're still asleep, stupid rat." I said, my voice not as sharp as I was aiming for before grabbing my milk again and stuffing it back in the refrigerator.

"You three probably should get going," Shigure said casually, "You had a late start today."

Well no wonder, I was up all night scared stiff that Ayame would find another way to sneak into my bed. Apparently, Shigure had let him stay in his room tonight… and as disgusting a thought that it was, I preferred it to waking up to him.

I snatched up my bag and headed for the door, shoving on my shoes and sliding the door open. Tohru was right behind me, and in turn Yuki.

I slowed down my pace after I got into the shade of the trees, and soon Tohru and Yuki were in step with me as we made our way to school.

(Yuki's POV)

I walked along the empty hallways, trying to spot something productive to do, but to no avail. There were random people who were also in after school clubs, but most of them were on their way home now. I didn't want to go back to the Student Council classroom—I was a little too exhausted to be around those three. Machi was here today too, which was a first for some time.

After another fifteen minutes of pointless wondering, I decided that I should probably head back to do something more useful. I got to the door, and slid it open before stepping inside but-

"Yuki! You have returned!"

I froze at the familiar voice and looked up to see Ayame poised with over-exaggerated elegance in the middle of the room, Manabe and Kimi circling him with heart-shaped eyes.

"What are you doing at my school?" I said sharply, this was just what I needed to top an already exhausting day.

"Well, let me tell you the whole story!" Ayame said, pointing a finger to the ceiling while Manabe and Kimi nodded enthusiastically.

"No, I don't want to hear it, just go." I said as I made my way over to my bag, but Manabe and Kimi protested vigorously, pleading Ayame to continue.

"I must not disappoint my subjects, Yuki… you might as well listen too!" and with that, I was unable to stop him as he reeled into an over-dramatic detail of his day, "First, I awoke this morning to the lively sun washing over my long body, when I realised that I had become hungry!"

"How about you start with something that has reference to why you are here." I said solidly, not hiding my frustration- but Ayame kept spieling over every detail of his day to the captivated Manabe and Kimi. I looked over to Sakuragi who was sitting at his desk, scribbling furiously at his paper, frequently shooting glares at Ayame and barking at Machi whenever she stopped cleaning up the mess that Ayame's arrival had created.

Blocking out Ayame's pointless jabbering, I slid my homework into my bag and did it up, taking my time. After helping Machi bring the room back to a presentable state I had nothing left to do, so I slid my bag over my shoulder and, avoiding Ayame's presence, made my way to the door-

"AND SO! I find myself here, in this classroom, with Yuki!" Ayame finished as his hand suddenly captured the door handle before I could reach it. "And now, Yuki—we shall embark on our reuniting walk home!"

I sighed and push him out of the way, opening the door myself and wondering down the hall with Ayame at my heels, Manabe and Kimi calling goodbye with awed enthusiasm. I ignored him as we walked out of the school, his blabbering somehow more pointless then before.

When we reached the shade of the trees, I was tired of it, "Ni-san, why did you come."

"Hm?" He said, pulled out of his ranting. I watched the path ahead of us.

"Why, Yuki, do I need a reason to come and see you?" He said cheerfully. I didn't bother to answer, if he had something to say then I suppose he would say it.

And I was right.

"Actually… I was wanting to talk to you about what's been going on!" Ayame pointed out, and I let out an audible sigh.

"It has nothing to do with you, so leave it alone." I said firmly.

"I'm most curious of how."

I kept my eyes glued in front of me, and didn't answer him—so he continued.

"Well, at first I was pretty sure that you're hate had finally formed into raging lust-"

"_It's not like that_!" I said for the millionth time, I was getting worn from trying to convince him. Kyo and I hadn't even gotten that far yet… if we ever would.

"Oh don't worry, I know," Ayame's smile was on and he was flapping his hand at me.

"Then stop saying it." I said with an obvious tone, getting agitated by how confusing he was being with me.

"I was just telling you my most probable theory." He explained, "I want you to know what I think, Yuki!"

"So you are trying to kill me, then."

"There is nothing dangerous about the way my mind works, I think it would be a thrilling experience for any young boy such as yourself!"

I decided not to reply to that comment, no matter how every fibre in my body disagreed. If I opened my mouth, this would be going on for some time. I looked forward and waited for him to continue:

"As I was saying, Yuki. At first, I thought that it was lust that was bringing you two together—after all, that would fit Kyon-Kichi's personality more then the alternative-"

I was about to cut in there, until I remembered back when I wasn't certain about Kyo… when I had thought that he was only acting the way he did with me because he was a raging hormonal boy. Then Ayame continued again, breaking my thoughts:

"But I've been hearing little things here and there through people; I wont tell you who-" He pressed his fingers against his mouth, "Some of the things I heard were a bit unbelievable. So I decided to come over to see for myself."

Oh great- so we were some sort of gallery now? I didn't understand why everyone seemed so interested, when other members of the Zodiac came together it wasn't this epic… but of course, there was the obvious: their zodiacs had no rivalry. There was no reason to doubt that something had grown in between other members.

"I was still pretty stubborn on my idea—until I saw you two come home together."

"You were _stalking us?"_ I gasped, as Ayame smile and waved his hand around in the air dramatically: "No, No, I was not stalking—I just took a peek out of the window and saw you two!"

I felt relief wash over me. Nothing really intimate happened between us yesterday that someone could have caught… But what had taken place felt quite personal to me, and I would have killed him with no thought to it if he had spied on us.

"Nothing happened… we just walked home, we always used to- this time Honda-san wasn't there, it wasn't that big." I said, trying to calm Ayame down from whatever romantic ideas were swarming through his twisted mind.

"You smiled at him."

I looked over to Ayame and he was gazing ahead of us, passed the trees.

"And he smiled at you."

I remembered that he had given me a small smile, and what he said seemed so trivial- but it still triggered that easy feeling of safety inside of me. It was so effortless that I hadn't really realized that I had smiled.

"Don't get carried away, I don't want to know what you saw when you peered at us through your blinds." I said, brushing it off. Ayame sighed a huff beside me and brushed back his shimmering pale silver hair.

"What I'm trying to say, Yuki, is that I've never seen you two smile to each other. I've never seen you two smile like that to anyone." He swiftly came in front of me, halting my path, and captured my right hand in both of his, "It was the smile… of two people deeply in lo-"

My left hand curled into a fist and I brought it down hard on his head, "Stop it." All this 'love' business was really starting to bother me.

He gave me a smile and flapped his hand around again, "Alright, alright." He swiftly turned around and continued down the path. I blew out a breath, hoping this would be over soon. I saw Ayame stop and gaze out in the distance as I advanced towards him. I stood a few feet apart from him and looked in the opposite direction.

"I'll confess."

I traced the outline of the trees with my gaze.

"At first… I wanted you and I to be close because… I didn't want to feel so guilty."

It didn't come to me as a surprise… that's what I've been thinking for some time. It was just a little odd to hear it from him…

"I don't feel guilty. So it was very bothersome when that feeling started to fill me whenever I thought of you." I heard Ayame heave a sigh, "I didn't realise it at the time, but that was the reason I wanted you to embrace me as a brother… You pushed me away like no one ever has. And it was that selfish motive that pulled me forward to you."

I felt my coldness shiver through me, freezing my insides before his words could rip through them.

"I admit that was how it was, but over time… I really wanted you to accept my love, even if it was not returned. I wanted you to see me as a brother."

"I was getting worried about how you didn't accept my love." I could hear him sigh, "I wanted to be the one who could make you smile, Yuki. I wanted to be that older brother I never was to you. If you were ever going to accept anyone's love… I would have greedily wished that it would be mine."

I looked down at my hand.

"But after I put so much effort into it, you would still give me that cold shoulder." I heard his voice muse with consideration. He left a short pause before he finished, "And I began to think… if this is how I had treated you. That one day that you reached out to me. For the first… and last time."

I watched as my fingertips began to tremble slightly, and I curled them into my palm to try and keep them still. I know I told myself to keep my guard up… but he was letting his down. He was trying to be sincere with me. So I… I had to try to be true to him in return.

"I never realised that I could have helped you. I never thought that one day… that moment would come back and haunt me."

I kept my breathing even, and forced myself not to block out his words.

"And it did. It did come back and haunt me."

I felt a smile hang in the air through his voice, "I never thought about it much… but I think that now I see… how everyone you have ever reached out to has abandoned you."

I clenched my hand into a fist, digging my fingernails into my palm as I felt my nose sting with the promise of fresh tears.

"Everyone left you… like you weren't even a human being."

I bit my tongue as I felt the tears sting at my open eyes and I stared at the ground trying hard to concentrate on any patterns I saw in the dirt, to distract me from dark memories, from a feeling that devoured me, and I dug my nails deeper into my palms.

"I didn't want to be one of those people… but by the time I realised that, I had already become one."

I let out a silent breath, tightening every muscle in my body so I wouldn't tremble; I tried hard not to blink in case a tear would overflow from my eyes.

"So I suppose it was foolish and selfish of me to think that I could be the one person you could trust, and love, when I was already one that had abandoned you."

I felt a pause in the air before he continued, "But I still couldn't help but feel jealous and angry when I heard that you had given Kyo your affection." He let out an audible sigh, "All the times you two would fight, his hatred was so intense towards you, and he was the one that made my actions seem acceptable." I could feel his smile in the air, "I found hope in the assumption that you would have more love for me then you could ever hold for the Cat."

His sad laugh rang through the air silently, the sharp sting of fresh frost.

"But in the end… he was the one, wasn't he."

I glanced up at the horizon, and _his_ face drifted into my mind. His thick messy orange hair, and the way he purred when I had played with it. That slight smile that played at his lips, the smile he would ignite inside of me.

"He was the one who gave you what you became afraid to reach out for."

I remembered his warm fingertips running across my cheeks, how he brushed aside my hair to look me in the eyes with that heart-stopping gaze… that light he ignited inside of me, The moment I had told him I liked him… and the moment he pulled me against him. The way he made me feel so… made me feel…

I clenched my eyes shut, forcing back every tear and replacing it with a tiny smile.

"I just hope… that one day you might forgive me." His took in a breath, "Even though I do not deserve it."

I let his sincerity inside of me; let it wash through my mind.

"I… really do love you… My brother."

I looked over to him, the words running through me like a million caterpillars. He said it so many times—but this time, he said it with sorrowful eyes, and a small sad smile.  
There was still a part of me that held those words from reaching my soul… but they came much closer then I had let them before.

I let out a breath- and I released the tension in my muscles, and the mist in my mind.

I let my own small smile pull at my lips as I waited for sincerity to fill me, "Thank you."

There was a wistful air that seemed to coil around us… and I felt like there was a small connection between the two of us for the first time.

He gave me a quick smile, before whisking his hands forward; "Well, I must not make you late for Tohru's lovely dinner!" He dramatized as we reached the clearing, emerging from the trees and approaching the house.

I looked up to see Hatori at the door, and Kyo stubbornly sitting against the outside wall, keeping his gaze away from the doctor.

"Ah, Ayame." Hatori said as we came into hearing point. Kyo looked up and captured me with his eyes before his gaze shifted to Ayame. He shoved himself off the porch and slid inside of the house.

"Hatori! What a pleasant surprise!" Ayame said enthusiastically as he whisked himself over to the other man who held out a hand, keeping Ayame from embracing him.

"You've been here long enough, Ayame. Let's go." Hatori walked around Ayame and to his parked car.

"Oh! You drove!" Ayame glided after him cheerfully before turning around and waving to me, "Goodbye Yuki! I shall see you soon!"

I watched as he slid into the car with Hatori, and I climbed the steps.  
I glanced over my shoulder once more to see the car drive away before I walked into the house and closed the door behind me.

'_My brother'_

**-End-**

**AN-** thank you for reading... reviewing would really be nice, and I'll have my next chapter up soon, much sooner then three days. Thank you for being patient with me _-Wheeze-_


	36. Chapter 36

**AN- **SO I am back! Thank you everyone who has reviewed, I really hope you like this chapter!!  
FB doesnt belong to me.

**Chapter Thirty Six**

(Yuki's POV)

_Tap…_

_Tap…_

_Tap…_

I looked up from my work and waited for Kyo to glance at me before glaring at him. I raised my eyebrow in annoyance, and went back to my work. I scribbled the point of my pencil against the paper as I filled in the answer to one of the questions—But it wasn't before long until I heard Kyo drumming his fingers against my desk once more.

I sent down my pencil and sighed, "Could you stop that?"

"Are you done yet?"

"No." I said in an irritated voice, pointing out the obvious.

"Then hurry up."

"You're not helping any." I glared at him and he narrowed his eyes back at me.

"If you didn't have such a big ego, I'd offer my help." He scoffed, leaning back on the chair across my desk.

"Sure, like you would know any of this." I shot, feeling quite agitated at his impatient mood.

"I know more then you do." He shot back and I was about to protest until he pointed at a sentence that I had written, "That's supposed to be 1994, not 1997."

With a frustrated sigh I flipped my pencil over and erased the four, "Three years don't prove anything, Cat."

It was Wednesday after school and I was in my room, working responsibly on my homework with the impatient cat fidgeting in the chair across from me. I was actually getting a lot done, I hated to admit it but with Kyo pointing out a few of my mistakes I realised how I've been overlooking a few things. But I think that his presence was more distracting then anything.

Either way, I kept my eyes on my paper and glanced over to my textbook every so often to gather a few answers, flipping through the pages.

Finally, what I was working on seemed familiar, and I had no problem answering the questions from my own mind. I had nearly forgotten Kyo's presence as I eagerly answered my homework; already more caught up then I had thought I'd be at the end of the week. I was half way through the final Unit when I felt his warm fingers coil around the hand I had resting uselessly beside me.

I glanced up, startled, as Kyo pulled my hand across the short distance of the desk until it was resting in front of him. He didn't glance up at me, but instead watched as he turned my hand over, palm up and examined my hand. I watched as his fingers traced the lines in my palm leisurely, feeling my skin tingle under his touch.

I shot my eyes back down to my work, trying to hide the burning blush that I felt creeping into my cheeks. I had to re-read the same sentence three times before I got it through my head as I felt Kyo's thumb brush across my palm. I wrote down the answer quickly—but when I re-read it I found it made no sense.

I scratched it out before skipping it and going to the next question, feeling his fingers lace themselves in between mine before dragging themselves away. I bit my lip in effort to concentrate on my next question, willing my mind to stay in tact.

But I felt my fingers tremble slightly as his played with them lazily. I forced myself to keep my eyes on my work, to write sensible sentences, to form the information in my head but—

"That doesn't even make sense."

I looked up at Kyo, who was leaning forward and inspecting my work. He glanced at me and tapped his finger at one of my recent answers, "What the hell's the 'soft war'?"

I slipped my hand out from under his and slapped his head, "The Soft War of 1963, you idiotic cat, stop interrupting me." Of course, there is no 'soft war of 1963' but I was counting on his dim mind to let it pass.

Apparently it didn't because he folded his arms over my work and cocked his head to the side, "Am I distracting you?"

"No." I said too quickly, unable to look away from his warm red eyes-- I could see a small grin in them, and I glared at that before looking back down to my work.

"Hm."

I ignored him and wrote gibberish on my page to make it look like I was not paying any attention to him, and I felt relief wash through me as I heard him push back his chair and stand up. I let a silent sigh sneak through my lips as I concentrated on my work now that he was leaving until-

I felt my chair pull back from my desk and before I could react Kyo's hands wrapped themselves around the underside of my knees and he slipped himself underneath my body until I was resting on his lap, Kyo straddling my chair and I straddling Kyo.

"Wha-what-" I felt the shock shake my voice as I gripped the arms of my chair, suddenly sitting on Kyo's warm lap instead of the hard wood.

I felt my heart quicken as his warm breath washed over my face, his eyes looking at me with paralysing intensity, his face close to mine.

I felt my lungs twitch with my short breaths—He was so close, and I couldn't recall the last time I've been so near to him. I felt my pulse quicken at the feeling of his body, and the warmth that emitted from him, his scent filling my head pleasantly.

He leaned in closer, and suddenly my homework gleefully fled my mind. I tilted my face unconsciously downward until I felt my eyelids slide close before…

Oh wow… wow, wow, how long had it been since I've kissed him? I felt him roll his soft lips against mine and I let out a shaky breath at the feeling as it slipped inside of my beating heart. I leaned closer into him and returned his kiss…

I felt his right hand leave my leg and soon felt the warmth of his fingertips trail along my throat to the back of my neck, setting my heart on fire as I felt him press his mouth more insistently against mine. He imprisoned me within his lips; I was surrounded by Kyo as he kissed me with his warmth, his thumb brushing against the skin of my neck.

I let my hands leave the arms of the chair to place themselves gently against Kyo's shoulders as he captured my lips heatedly. I wrapped my arms tight around his neck, returning his enthusiasm, his warm breath inside of my mouth as I felt an appreciative hum vibrate at my chest.

Kyo pushed himself against me until I was firmly pressed in between him and the back of the chair, his lips insistent and hot as I pulled him closer into me. I honestly couldn't remember the last time I was captured in his heated self…

I let my hand brush itself into his thick hair, and I grabbed a fistful of its softness, refusing to let him pull back, even for breath. The hand he had at the base of my neck tighten as I felt his slick wet tongue drag itself along my lips, emitting a slight shudder throughout my body. I let him roll my lips open, welcoming his hot tongue as it slipped inside my mouth with a sharp breath.

The heat was overcoming me as I felt his slick tongue explore my wet mouth, tasting him, feeling him—but there was so much in between us still and I wanted to lose myself in that heat, that musky scent, that taste…

I closed my mouth around his and slid my tongue against his—and Kyo awarded me with a shiver the vibrated against my body. I shifted myself on his lap and I felt his breath catch audibly, his hand sliding up my neck to tangle itself in my hair.

I was getting dizzy from his scent, his heat, and the lack of air from his hot kiss, but his lips were so wet against mine, his tongue so slick, I refused to pull back—until my lungs clenched desperately. With the hand I had tangled in his hair I tilted him an inch away from my mouth, feeling his reluctance to my pull. I breathed heavily, feeling his hot breath wash over my face for a second-

Just before I leaned in to capture his wet lips with mine, I heard something race up the stairs hurriedly—and Kyo must have caught it too, because he turned his face away from me and to the door.

"Kyo?" A muffled voice came from the hall as we heard someone tap against a door that wasn't mine. I heard and felt Kyo groan against me, and he slumped his head onto my shoulder as I tried to catch my breath with his hot against my collarbone.

"He's not there!" The muffled voice complained.

"Check Yuki's room," An older and more faint voice sounded.

With a disturbed growl, Kyo pushed himself away from me, sliding out from under my body and standing up, looking completely disgruntled. His lips were rosy along with his cheeks, his eyes glossy, his breath coming short, and I felt my heart pulse knowing that it was because of me.

"Yuki!" The tap on the door was brief before it slid open to present a cheerful Momiji who looked a bit puzzled as his eyes looked between me and Kyo—I quickly ran a hand through my hair, forgetting how Kyo's hands had knotted themselves in it just a few moments ago.

Momiji gave a short laugh, "Kyo, what are you doing it Yuki's room?"

Kyo's hair stood on end, "None of your damn business!"

"Hello, Momiji." I greeted, feeling my breath finally reaching normal. "Is there something you wanted?"

"Yup!" Momiji popped, eyes flittering across the room to the desk, "Oh! Kyo, were you helping Yuki study?"

Kyo's hands clenched into fists, "I said it's NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!"

I lifted my weak body out of my chair, nearly stumbling at how limp my legs had become, "Yes, he was, exams are coming up really soon, Momiji, and it would be best if you would do the same." I said, trying to concentrate on Momiji instead of Kyo's hot taste that was still in my mouth.

"That's why I came!" Momiji said triumphantly and Kyo only got more frazzled.

"We're not gonna help you study! GO ASK HARU!"

Momiji only giggled and ticked his finger at Kyo, "No, silly, I didn't come to study!"

"DON'T CALL ME SILLY!"

I sighed, "Kyo, stop being silly."

"I'M NOT BEING SILLY, YA DAMN RAT!" He turned on me. I looked at his eyes, alive with frustration and radiant with his temper—I had to refrain myself from licking my lips just to taste what was left from his kiss.

I saw the furry in his eyes dispatch as he gazed back at me…

"Ooooooooh, are you two having a moment?" Momiji popped up in the space between us and Kyo jumped back with his infuriation plain on his face before he brought his hand down hard on Momiji, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?"

I let my shoulders hang, "Don't hit him."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"Don't hit me!" Momiji piped in, and Kyo slapped him on the head again.

"You're going to give him brain damage, cat." I said plainly.

"He's alright got brain damage!" Kyo barked at Momiji who raced behind me.

"Oh yeah, hide behind the damn rat!" Kyo snapped as I let out a sigh.

"You were wanting something, Momiji?" I said, glancing over my shoulder. Momiji looked up at me and blinked a few times before smiling.

"Oh yes! I came here because I've planned an adventure for us!" Momiji said enthusiastically.

"Who do you mean by us?" I asked.

Momiji lifted a finger and tapped it with each name he reeled off: "Tohru, Haru, Yuki, Kyo, Shigure, Kisa, Hiro, Kagura, Ayame, and Momiji!"

"What about Hatori?" I asked.

"He's taking care of Akito, he's really sick."

I couldn't help but glanced over to Kyo who was looking out of the window distantly. The name hung dark in the air-

"So it'll be all of us instead!" Momiji said pleasantly.

"And what's the adventure?" I asked as I stepped towards my desk, closing my textbook.

"We're all going to the hot springs in celebration of the end of the school year! We'll leave on Friday since we have a half day at school—and we'll be back Monday!" Momiji chimed, "Isn't it great? And Tohru will be there too!"

I looked over to Momiji as he trotted over to Kyo and tugged at his shirt, "You'll go too, right?"

"Who cares." Kyo put his fists on his waist, still glaring out the window.

Momiji whimpered, "But you have to come! Yuki will be going! Wont you, Yuki?" Momiji leaned back with Kyo's shirt stabling him as he looked over to me.

"Yes," I said.

"Why the hell would that matter?" Kyo ripped Momiji's hands off his shirt making him tumble to the floor, "I'll go if I wanna go!"

"Alright! It's a date then!" Momiji beamed, hopping back on his feet, seemingly unphased by the fall.

"IT'S NOT A DATE!" Kyo said with infuriation… of course, he wouldn't be all too familiar with that figure of speech.

Momiji smiled at him before closing the door and scampering down the stairs.

I ran a hand through my hair and seated myself back down in my chair, picking up my pencil once more.

I rested my forehead along my index finger and thumb as I read the next question on my homework sheet. I noticed, through the corner of my eye, Kyo slumping himself down against the side of my bed and leaning his head back with a frustrated sigh. He was so easy to infuriate.

I glanced over to him, seeing an exhausted look on his face.  
I let out my own sigh, "Well?" I said. Kyo tilted his head over to my direction and looked at me. I continued, "Are you going to help me get this finished in time, or not?"

With a grumble, Kyo pushed himself off the ground and walked over to me.

(Kyo's POV)

"He's so sweet!" Tohru gushed, "He's so kind to me!"

"He's stupid." I said harshly, my hands shoved in my pockets.

"W-Well he planned it for all of us, I think it was really nice…" I glanced over to see Tohru playing with her fingers.

I sighed and reluctantly spoke, "Fine, I guess he's not that bad."

I peeked over to Tohru who was giving me a smile, "Wasn't it thoughtful? A hotsprings trip! I can't wait!" Her eyes glowed with anticipation. I shifted my hoody that was draped over my forearm.

I still thought that damn kid was obnoxious as hell. Every time he opens his mouth, I want to hit him.

I was walking Tohru to her work since I had nothing else to do, and I felt something inside me churn unpleasantly. It was that feeling I got whenever it was about to rain. When I had set out with Tohru after school, it was just a little nudge against my stomach, but now it felt like the calm before a storm- a slight fog drifting at the rim of my mind, just waiting for the moment to pull me down.

I noticed that Tohru wasn't walking along side with me anymore, so I glanced around the street and saw her smiling at me a few steps behind, "I'm right here," She pointed at the building.

I walked back to her, "Okay. Don't come home too late." I cautioned. Tohru nodded her head vigorously.

"Thank you so much for walking me!" She smiled and I nodded to her. "Do you need me to pick up anything before coming home?"

"No, just get back safe, got it?" I said sternly, and she gave me another smile. "Get going, you're gonna be late."

"Oh yes, yes—of course, sorry!" Tohru waved at me and she disappeared through the door, "Thank you!"

I waited until the door closed behind her before I looked around the street. The concrete sidewalk was outstretched to either direction, and cars were streaming back and forth…. And finally, it happened.

I felt it on my cheek, and cringed away in disgust as the rain began to dribble from the sky. I gnashed my teeth together and grumbled from my throat as I slipped my hoody from where it hung on my elbow and tugged it over my arms, adjusting it on my shoulders as I threw my hood over my vibrant orange hair.

I stuffed my hands into the pockets and made my way home along the sidewalk, which was speckled by all the raindrops that were quickly multiplying. Usually I would know when it would rain before hand from the weather cast I would watch-- but lately I've had my mind on a lot of different things then watching television. I began to feel my energy drain from my body as the raindrops plopped onto my hoody. The sound of the water falling through the air made my stomach clench and my throat bubble unpleasantly.

I walked more sluggishly as the rain began to soak through my hoody, the sidewalk painted a damp dark grey. I felt something fog across my mind, making it uneasy to think and hard to concentrate on walking, and which direction to go.

But something nudged itself through the fog, and I felt it reach out to me desperately.

I found myself snap in alertness, as I let my natural instincts overcome me. I felt it again- a desperation, pain and hurting…

I concentrated on the direction it was coming for, unable to block the feeling from my mind. I wandered around the streets, the voice becoming clearer the further I strolled. I hunted for the call that I could only feel through my insides. I rounded a corner, and slipped into an alleyway, the feeling overwhelming me until-

I bent down and examined a limp swelling of fur that was quivering amongst ripped garbage bags, the grotesque smell of rotting food and shit stinging at my nose. The desperation was so strong; that I almost believed it was coming from me.

I reached out and touched the quivering pile of patchy fur, and the abused cat trembled violently underneath my touch, it's breathing scratching from it's throat. I felt it's pain course through me and I had to get a hold of myself before my lungs began to quiver painfully.

I ran my hand softly against the course fur, feeling it sticky and patchy underneath my smooth palm—and when I pulled my hand away, bits of fur stuck onto my hand. I bit my lip, feeling horribly overwhelmed by all of the emotion that the cat was radiating through me.

I pulled my drenched hoody off of my back before gently sliding my hands underneath the cat's limp body and lifting it from the ground with care. It gave a strangle, weak noise as I did so and I was quick to hold it gently against my chest, cradling it's limp form in my arms as I wrapped my hoody around it softly.

I made to stand up, but my energy washed out of me at the exact same time and I felt my head spin as I knelt back down on the ground.

Alright… more slowly, then…

I pushed myself with more concentration from the ground, waiting for any signs of dizziness as the rain soaked through my uniform shirt, making it cling sickly to my body. With its rattling breath keeping me from losing concentration, I carried the injured cat back home with dizzy effort.

The rain soaked through my clothes, drenching my body to the bone.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** Alright, so. Thank you for reading-- and I really hope you **review**, that would be amaazing...


	37. Chapter 37

**AN-** I'm posting this now because I'm not sure if I'm gonna have the chance to post it tomorrow. so that would make it... three days without a post, then two chapts in one day!  
Ah, who am I kidding, I've done better then that.  
I'm trying not to drag this out, but there is still alot this story has to settle... so apologies to those who just want it to be over, I still have plans.  
That dont involve me owning FruitsBaskets.

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

(Kyo's POV)

I pushed the door open and stumbled inside, every part of my skin shivering and cringing from how my clothes clung to my body. I felt my breath leave my lungs, and I had to put effort into inhaling. I had managed to keep the cat in my arms without dropping it, all of my strength going into my arms.

I felt completely drained; I had even forgotten to slip out of my shoes as I wandered into the house. I walked into the kitchen, soaking the floor from the rain that was dripping from my body. On my journey home the rain had picked up, and it turned out to almost be a storm, it was coming down in buckets.

"Kyo? You were outside all this time?" Shigure's voice wavered in my ears, making me even dizzier and I made my way forward to the sink where I leaned my back against, breathing heavily as I gently unravelled my hoody to see if the cat was still all right.

I laid a hand gently on top of its fur—I had managed to keep it mostly dry, but it was still wet which made the fur stick even more to my hand… it was still trembling, which meant it was alive. I felt relief wash through me.

"Is that… is that a cat, Kyo?" Shigure said from beside me.

I felt my head start to buzz and I slunk down to the floor letting out a sigh. "We have to… keep her warm…" I said through exhausted breaths—I could sense that it was female. I felt my eyelids grow heavy and I tried to keep myself from curling up into a ball and falling asleep.

I hadn't noticed that Shigure was kneeling in front of me until he was shaking my shoulder, rousing me awake. "Here." Shigure held out a towel splayed across his open hands and I gently lifted the limp cat from my soaking hoody and placed her in the towel, reaching under Shigure's hands to wrap the cat in the towel's warmth and cradling her back to my chest.

"What can we do for it?" Shigure asked as I listened to her silent rattling breath.

"She just needs to rest… and then I'll feed her and keep her warm." I said, concentrating on what the small form was yearning for.

"Well, here, give her to me so you can have a bath." Shigure said. I was feeling a little better now that I wasn't being drenched in the rain, but the churning in my stomach still had my energy drained.

"Pff," I scoffed, "You kidding me, I'm not leaving her in your hands." but any offence in my voice went limp from my tired tone. Nothing could compare to the natural connection I had with the animal in my arms, it wasn't often that I felt so accepted like I do around these creatures.

"Alright… well, I have to go and pick up a book I ordered, so make sure you have a bath before you catch a cold." Shigure said simply.

I grunted a reply and Shigure lifted himself off the floor, walking out of the kitchen. I felt the pained aura of the cat lessen in intensity, and found something inside of me spark hopefully—Maybe she was only weak and cold, if that was it then I could help her out.

I listened as a soft purr scratched from the tiny body in my arms.

With the faint noise of the door opening and closing, I let my heavy eyelids take their toll and I slid my eyes closed… only for a minute…

I felt my body slump over and I shot awake before I hit the floor, throwing out a hand to keep me from leaning any further. I let out an exhausted breath and hauled myself up from the floor, gripping the counter for stability. I shook away the sleepy mist from my mind and made my way leisurely to my room. I climbed the stairs absent-mindedly, wandered down the hall, and slid my door open, careful to keep the cat safely in my arms. I crawled onto my bed and laid down the cat gently on my soft sheets, curling up beside her and falling into a comfortable and easy sleep.

(Yuki's POV)

I gazed out of the window, blurry from the rain that was dripping down. I placed my elbow on my desk and rested my cheek in my hand, listening to how the drops of water tap-danced on the school. It had started out as a drizzle, but had quickly picked up into drenching buckets falling from the sky… and now it seemed to be calming down a bit again.

I didn't feel like leaving School Council just yet, I had no umbrella to keep me dry. At least Kyo got home before it started to rain; he would have died in this.

I slumped over, resting my forehead on the arms I had crossed over my desk. It was Thursday… so that meant that tomorrow we would be leaving for the Hot Springs. If it kept raining like this, the trip would be quite pointless. We'd spend the whole time locked up with each other and that didn't sound like a great idea—Kagura, Ayame, Hiro, and Shigure would definitely not be a good combination to be locked in a room with. I shivered at the thought.

"Are you cold, Yun-Yun?" Manabe popped up in front of my desk, pulling out a chair and straddling it backwards.

"No, just tired." I sighed, not liking how I always seemed to be exhausted now days.

"Ha, at least tomorrow's a half day." Manabe leaned his back against his own desk leisurely, "And I think we get Monday off."

Hopefully, or else I'd be skipping school over the Hot Springs trip. I listened as the rain was slowly becoming more silent. I was wishing the rain would stop before I leave, I was going to go and pick up Tohru from work since she got off the general time that I left school today.

I glanced over to the clock—and realised that I should be on my way if I didn't want to push my luck getting there on time.

I pushed myself up from my seat, "Well, I'm going now." I tucked my chair back into my desk and Manabe flipped me a salute as I slung my backpack over my shoulder. I walked over and opened the classroom door—the hallways were empty as I walked along them, and the rain was getting more faint as it dribbled less frequently against the glass windows.

By the time I had reached the front doors, pushed them open, and was walking off the school property the rain had turned into a subtle spitting. I felt the rain drop on my cheeks and slide down my skin; I ran my sleeve over my face to dry them off.

Yesterday, after Momiji made his exit, Kyo had helped check through my homework. I had finished most of it, I only had a few more pages… and of course, Kyo and I didn't get sidetracked again—especially with Momiji's voice ringing around unpredictable parts of the house. It seemed that every time I am with him, I somehow managed to forget that the rest of the world existed. I let out a sigh as the grey clouds still covered the sky leisurely, the sun casting a solemn light over the concrete in front of me.

He was so unpredictable…

I turned onto the street where Tohru worked, and stayed clear to the right as a young playful girl skipped around the sidewalk with her mother tagging behind. When I had passed them, I glanced over my shoulder as the little girl spun around in the spot and grabbed at her mother's skirt for balance.

The sun was getting close to the horizon as it peeked through the fading clouds, and I reached the building where Tohru works and leaned against the nearby railing. I watched the cars stream by behind me and I let my mind wander…

I thought about my exams, my student council, and I thought about the darkness, the way the mother smiled at the girl when she grabbed onto her skirt. I watched the grey skin of the clouds stretch and fade, and thought about the warm sun. I thought about how I had grown so quickly, how my hands could reach a door without stretching. I thought of the summer, and what would happen. I thought about what would happen… and I thought about what was happening.

I tried to think about how I had grown so fond of Kyo, and that glimmer he got in his eyes whenever he got excited over something, or how they lit up radiantly at the expense of a challenge. I thought about how it could have happened so quickly…

How I could have gone to hating his very presence, to finding myself wishing that he were leaning against the railing with me right now… with his stubborn attitude, his radiant eyes, his raging temper... all of it...

I heard a door open along with a cheerful, familiar voice saying goodbye, and I faced the building I've been waiting in front of to see Tohru emerge from it. She looked a bit startled to see me, so I gave her a smile and soon she was beaming back, trotting over to me.

"Yuki! How are you?" She said, happy to see me.

"I'm good, was work well for you?" I asked, glad that I hadn't been late to pick her up.

"Oh yes, they're giving me more hours so I have to work really hard now!" She clenched her fists determinedly.

I gave a small laugh, "Don't push yourself too hard." She already worked hard; I was beginning to get a little worried that she would come down with a cold if she stressed herself too much.

"Oh—Yuki, how was Student Council?" She asked curiously as we turned a corner.

"It was the usual, I suppose." I answered, "The rain was coming down pretty hard earlier, so we all decided to stay inside the school."

"Oh!" Tohru suddenly stopped in shock, her hands to her mouth in a sudden realization.

"What?" I asked quickly, "Did you forget something? We can go back-"

"No, No… I had forgotten that it had rained… I hope Kyo's alright…" She bit her nails nervously, her eyes wide saucers.

I gave her a reassuring smile, "He probably got home before any of it started." I beckoned her forward to walk with me.

"Well, the rain started right after he dropped me off…"

"Kyo dropped you off?" That would have gotten him caught in the downpour.

She nodded vigorously, "Oh no, I hope I didn't make him walk through the rain!"

"He'll be alright… did he have a jacket or anything?"

"Oh… he had a hoody…"

"See? There you go." I said reassuringly, giving her a confident smile, "No need to worry yourself, Miss Honda, Kyo can take care of himself."

"Do you think it'll rain over the weekend?" Tohru asked, "I hope it doesn't."

"I think the worst of it passed through already," I said as I looked up at the sky, the dark clouds moving further along the sky in the opposite direction. We walked back home together, an easy conversation picking up between us. She was bright as usual, and I reassured her every time she seemed to panic over a small topic. When we were walking down the familiar path to our home, we came across the path of Shigure who was strolling along.

"Good afternoon young ones!" Shigure greeted cheerfully under the shade of his small umbrella.

"Shigure! How are you?" Tohru pleasantly greeted, "Did you come out for a walk?"

Shigure shook his umbrella before closing it and falling into step with us, "Oh I suppose, I just went to pick up a book I had ordered!" he slid his hand into his robe and pulled out a small novel, "I am quite excited to read it!"

All three of us walked back to the house, and by the time we entered inside, the sky was clear of grey clouds and the sun was gleaming along the horizon, casting long shadows from the trees.

"I'll get supper ready," Tohru said eagerly as she wandered into the kitchen, Shigure at her heels throwing out enthusiastic suggestions. I slipped out of my shoes and ran a hand leisurely through my hair before following the two of them into the kitchen. I walked through the kitchen and made my way up the steps, through the hall, and slid my door open. I entered my room and closing my door before dropping my bag onto the floor.

I tugged off my tie and let it fall to the ground as I unbuttoned my shirt, sliding it off my arms and letting that, as well, drape to the floor. I slipped my legs from my pants and tugged on a different pair, fitting another shirt onto my shoulders.

I picked up my backpack after I finished dressing and carried it over to my desk where I dropped it carelessly before leaving my room and shutting the door behind me. I descended the stairs and wandered back into the kitchen where Shigure was yapping pleasantly to an attentive Tohru who had already started cooking on the stove.

"Can I help?" I asked Tohru, and she looked over to me as I leaned against the counter beside her.

"Yes! Thank you!" Tohru said excitedly.

Shigure let out an audible groan, "But I wanted something yummy!"

I looked at my with an exhausted expression, "Don't fret yourself, I wont do any of the cooking." I reached up and opened a cabinet, "I'll just set the table."

Shigure perked up immediately at this, and I rolled my eyes as I brought a stack of plates into the dining room. After I had finished setting the table I offered to help her with some of the food since Shigure had escaped to his office. She let me cut some of the vegetables for her, and I succeeded in doing a pretty decent job of it.  
I kept her company as she prepared a meal for us, as there was not a lot I could do without the promise of doing it right. When she had finished cooking I helped her place the food on the table, and Shigure came without beckoning from anyone other then his keen sense of smell.

"KYO! Dinner's on!" Shigure called up the stairs before crossing the kitchen and sitting himself down in his usual place at the table. I opened one last cabinet and took out four glasses before returning back to the dinning room.

"Tohru, go fetch Kyo, he should be in his room still." Shigure said in due to Kyo's absence.

"Oh, alright, I'll be right back!" Tohru volunteered with a smile from Shigure. When she was out of the dining room I glared accusingly at Shigure. When he looked over to me he flinched back out of surprise.

"Could you stop ordering her around?" I asked solidly, lowering my body down onto the floor.

Shigure flapped his hand at me, "She doesn't mind! Plus, she is our house maid after all!"

"Don't call her that." I said in agitation, "She's more then that, and you know it."

"Yes, I suppose so." Shigure said with a finger on his chin, "She's almost like a part of the family, isn't she? Quite the special girl…"

Tohru trotted back into the room, "Um, he's asleep…"

"Oh is he then? About time, I thought he wouldn't listen to me." Shigure said, talking to himself pleasantly.

Tohru looked over to him questionably, and when Shigure caught her glance he went into his spiel: "He came home soaking wet from the rain with a cat in his arms!"

…

"Wait, what?" I said through the jumbled thoughts in my head.

"Well, you see, it was raining earlier on." Shigure said with a finger pointing to the ceiling.

"I know that, I meant what-"

"OH NO!"

I looked over to Tohru who had her hands clasped to the side of her face, "OH NO! I forgot that it was raining after I got to work!"

"Oh, Tohru, that's alright, you got in just fine!" Shigure flapped his hand, but Tohru continued.

"No, no, Kyo dropped me off!" She slunk to the floor, "This is all my fault! He asked if I needed him to walk me and I said yes, if I didn't he wouldn't have gotten caught in the rain, and now he probably has a cold and-" Tohru gasped and looked up with fear on her face, "IF HE HAS A COLD HE CANT GO TO THE HOTSPRINGS!" and then the hysteria began where she flapped her arms all around and jumped up like there were hot coals wherever she stood, "IT'S ALL MY FAULT! IF I HADNT BEEN SO SELFISH AND MADE HIM WALK WITH ME THEN HE WOULDN'T BE-"

"Tohru!!" Shigure sang as he tugged her to the ground, and he wrapped his hands around hers and laid them down on her lap folded in his, "Panicking isn't the best solution. Anyways, Kyo only got wet because he was searching for the kitty, so it would be his fault if he caught a cold." Shigure reached out and tapped her on the nose, "Anyways, I told him to have a bath."

"B-but he was still in his school clothes." Tohru said through welling eyes.

I put my elbow on the table and rested my forehead in my hands, that cat just keeps on getting more and more stupid.

"Hm. Then perhaps he does have a cold." Shigure got a far off look in his eyes and then…

He was going, going… and he was gone.

I watched him with Tohru as he gazed at the wall with unblinking eyes. I narrowed my eyes at him, unravelled my leg from underneath me and kicked him so he fell back onto the floor. I rolled my eyes and looked over to Tohru, "Miss Honda, please don't worry yourself over him. A cold wont faze him that much." I looked over to Shigure who was sitting back up and looking at me with a very putout expression.

"So why did he bring the cat home?" I asked bluntly, a little too tired to be shocked anymore.

"Well, I don't think it was because he wanted a pet." Shigure contemplated, "But it could have been over how she was just so darn cute."

I glared away from him, irritated at his mockery, "Alright, how bad was it hurt?"

"The cat was hurt?!" Tohru exclaimed.

"Kyo said it just needed to be kept warm and be fed so, I'm guessing it'll be alright in a day or so." Shigure said as he filled his plate. "Tohru, I'm sure if you just leave a plate outside his room he'll creep out sometime."

There he went, ordering her around some more. I looked over to him dangerously, narrowing my eyes as he scooped some food inside of his mouth.

"Alright, I'll be right back." Tohru lifted herself up, I watched as she picked up a few pieces of food here and there and placed them orderly on a plate. She disembarked once more from the kitchen, her footsteps pitter-pattering across the floor and up the stairs.

"You're never going to learn, are you." I sighed.

Shigure gave me an agreeing smile.

**-****End****-**

**AN-**

IMPORTANT: (well, maybe) I have gotten a request from one of you awesome reviewers, and will be pairing Tohru up with Haru or Hatori (or Shigure, Ayame, or Ritsu)... if any of you have a preference at all about which one, send it in cuz it doesnt matter to me-- they'll be a background pairing, i wont get too into them. but they will be there, so if there is one of those pairings you cant stand, please tell me, or ignore it.

I'm pretty sure I can write each pairing alright... but if no one says anything, I'll slap one with Tohru.  
Yes, slap, like balony on butter.  
Meat and mush. that's how it works, ladies and gents.

Sorry if there are a few mistakes, my time got cut short-- I will come back and edit later if there are a few problems. So this chapter was pretty much... build up? Perhaps? To the weekend. Or friday, rather. Which will be posted soon,  
so make me happy and please **!Review!** I love your reviews.


	38. Chapter 38

**AN-** so I did end up updating today. I still dont own Fruits Baskets.  
I present Friday:

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**

(Kyo's POV)

There was a painful throbbing in my head that seemed to be fogging out any other thought, and I stretched my arms across my sheets lazily—then I felt something nudge against my arm. I slid my eyes open reluctantly, and was greeted by a bundled towel on my sheets.

"The hells that doing on my bed…" I grumbled to myself, feeling my voice scratch out of my throat unpleasantly, reaching to grab the towel—but then my hand met something that felt like course, dry fur instead of the soft towel. I blinked a few times in puzzlement, and then my ears made out a soft rattling sound that was awfully familiar to breathing. I lifted myself up on my side with my elbow and leaned over the towel to inspect it—

"Oh-" I finally remembered what it was doing here when I saw a cat curled up in a ball inside of the towel. Yesterday drifted into my mind—how I had picked her up from the rainy streets and brought her home, falling asleep with her by my side. I made to breathe out a sigh, until I felt a sharp pain clench at my lungs. I gave a choked sound before letting a cough scratch past my throat. My head suddenly started to spin and I groaned before laying back down on my bed. I felt horrible and sickly, like my stomach was filled with gooey gunk.

Something was buzzing inside of my head, and I felt my heavy eyelids droop back shut. My body felt like it was lying on a heater instead of a fluffy bed, but my bones felt ice cold and I shivered at the irksome contrast. I was slowly fading into the sickly state of my body until I heard a tapping at my door.

"Whaat." I groaned, my voice strangled from how swollen my throat felt. I heard the door slide open as the person said my name in question. I looked over and saw Tohru peeking at me uncertainly from the door. I lifted myself up on my elbows and tried to hold back the cough that was building up at the bottom of my tickling throat.

She came in and walked over to me, "How are you feeling, Kyo?" She asked softly as if I were still asleep.

"Fine," I rasped, my voice scratching my throat as I slumped back into my pillows. Tohru reached over to me and placed a hand on my forhead. I watched her expression as she assessed me.

"You're pretty warm, Kyo… I think you might have a cold." She said apologetically. She knelt down at my bedside and looked at me through remorseful eyes, "I'm sorry."

I brushed it off, "S' not your fault, don't matter."

"I'll get you a wet cloth." I heard Tohru lift herself from my floor and her footsteps echoed through my head as she disembarked from my room. I wrinkled my nose at myself. This was definitely no way to spend a morning.

I felt myself drift into a soft darkness, and barely recalled the cold cloth that I felt Tohru place on my forehead until I drifted out of consciousness.

(Yuki's POV)

"Oh no, no, don't worry about me, I'll be fine on my own. You should check up on Kyo." Tohru said, rejecting my offer to escort her to work. The sky was thinly covered with grey clouds, and a fresh scent was drifting through the cooling atmosphere, a promise of rain. Today, though, I had my umbrella dangling limply in between my fingers at my side. I looked at her with apprehensive eyes… but knew she was right. Tohru had told me that Kyo was sick with a cold when she went in to check up on him this morning, and knowing him he was probably running around the forest naked or doing something stupid like that.

"Kyo can live another hour without any supervision." I said despite my elaborate images of him roaring through the trees in his dojo uniform, his nose red and running. "Besides, it looks like it will rain soon. I wouldn't like you to get caught in it, Miss Honda." I said gently.

She gave me an appreciative smile, "Alright. I would like that very much." She took a few steps forward and I followed her lead as we both left the shade of the school's fading shadow.

(Kyo's POV)

"DABBIT, SDOP DOIG DAT!" I regretted yelling instantly when a thick cough tore through my throat. I leaned away from the bathroom sink and covered my mouth in the crease of my elbow and let another sick cough crack out of my throat.

I felt the cat try to escape from underneath my wet grasp and she almost slipped through but I grabbed at her with both of my soapy hands and held her in the equally soapy water, her thin body slipping around my fingers easily.

I was trying to wash the damn thing, but she kept on trying to escape the soapy bath I had made for her in the sink. My hands were slippery from the foamy cleanser, and itchy from all the extra fur that was washing away from her body. She let out a pained meow from my aggressive force, and I just wrinkled my nose at her.

"Sdop cobplaidig, if your gobba be so dab stubborb theb deal with id!" I scrubbed my hand along her body more gently and felt her body tense. I felt my nose begin to run and I lifted my shoulder and turned my face, trying to rub off some of the snot on the sleeve of my torn t-shirt. After I wiped most of the gunk on the fabric, I sniffed to try and keep my nose from leaking anymore.

"Guh, you suck." My voice was thick and swollen from my clogged nose and I felt my head spin once more. After the dizzy haze passed and everything came back into a general focus I noticed that I had still managed to keep her in my grip. I decided that I had cleaned her as much as I probably could, and lifted her body from the water, droplets of water cascading to the floor as she mewled and twisted her flexible body until I held her against my body, soaking my shirt so it stuck to the skin of my chest.

She fidgeted reluctantly and I tightened my hold on her as I reached over and stuck my fingers into the warm, foamy water and pulled at the plug that was stuffing the drain in the sink. I watched as a small whirlpool formed in the water and spun around a mesmerizing swirl until all that was left was the bubbles and fur clinging to the side of the sink. I turned on the water once more and pulled the cat from my chest and held her in the sink underneath the water. She clung to the sides of the sink, trying to get out from under the warm current, but I held her there and splashed the water over her drenched body until the foam washed from her wet fur.

I turned off the tap before reaching for the towel railing with my soapy hand, tugging a towel from it, wrapping her in it securely and pulling her back against my chest. I dried her off gently, rubbing the towel against her soaking fur. She trembled from the bath I had submitted her too, and I turned away from the sink and walked out of the bathroom.

I wandered down the hall; my head buzzing and a sickening pressure building up inside the bridge of my nose. I was able to walk down the stairs without any trouble, but by the time I reached the bottom my head was spinning again and a cough was tickling at my throat.

I groaned through my chest as I walked over to the refrigerator. I bent down and shook the cat from the towel until she scampered down onto the floor, her paws patting against the linoleum. I dropped the empty towel and pulled the refrigerator door open before lifting the milk carton from its place on the railing. I shut the fridge with my foot and knelt down to one of the cabinets under the sink, the cat rubbing affectionately against my thigh.

I pulled out a small bowl, trying to sniff back the leakage from my nose, and I tipped the carton of milk over the edge, hearing it splash against it's boarders as I filled it half way. I scooted the bowl across the floor and pushed the cat away from my leg suggestively. I walked back over to the fridge, tugged the door open, and placed the milk back inside. I heard the slight splatter of the cat's tongue lapping up the milk, and I wiped off my still soapy hand on my ripped sweat pants before slipping it into my pocket and pulling out a tissue.

I held it to my nose, closed my mouth, and blew into the tissue, feeling gunk flow freely through my nostrils and gushing onto the thin fabric. I wiped my nose once more before walking over to the disposal basket and ditching the soggy tissue inside of it. I pulled out another and repeated the procedure until I could breathe through my nose once more, trying to shake my head clear of it's buzzing pain.

After disposing the last tissue, I wandered back over to the cat, which was still greedily lapping at the bowl of milk. I bent down on the balls of my feet, rested my elbows on my thighs, and took in her appearance. She was looking better since I bathed her—granted, there were a lot of bald patches along her body, but at least she wasn't moulting or anything. There were a few places where wounds were visible on her smooth skin, but they had healed fast and now there was nothing more I could do that would be useful for her.

The sleep we had together had really regenerated her, She had definitely gotten her energy back—but I had noticed that she had a problem with her left leg, since she limped every time she walked. Hopefully that would clear up soon, because there was nothing I could do for it as far as I knew.

It wasn't like I was a damn vet or anything.

I heard the front door slide open, but I ignored it until the footsteps padded into the kitchen.

"Are you trying to stay sick?" an exasperated voice critiqued.

I glanced over my shoulder and watched as Yuki leaned against the wall with a stern look.

"Tsh, no." I said in an obvious tone, "A stupid cold isn't gonna keep me in bed all day." My voice was a bit clearer and I was able to pronounce my words correctly since I had cleared my nose a few seconds ago.

I pulled my attention back to the cat when I heard an appreciative purr rumble from her small body. I was really glad that she was doing better; the sooner she was functional the sooner she could leave. I didn't feel like taking care of her for much longer, it was a bit annoying having the damn thing following me around everywhere, so dependent on me.

"Where's Shigure?" I heard Yuki ask. I reached over and stroked the cat's clean, soft and still damp fur leisurely and she arched her back into my hand.

"The hell would I know." I scratched her behind her ear, hearing a purr rumble from her chest,"Is it still raining?"

"Yeah."

"Dammit." I felt another cough tickle at the back of my throat and I covered my free hand over my mouth as I let it crack out of my throat. I heard Yuki sigh behind me.

"Go to bed, Beka Neko." Yuki walked across the kitchen and I sneered at him before watching him climb the steps. I'll go to bed when I'm damn ready.

I felt my head give a dizzy spin once more and I braced a hand against the floor to keep myself from falling onto it. Even though I had a pretty long sleep, I still felt so damn tired...

(Yuki's POV)

I placed my homework on my desk and sat down in my chair with a sigh. I only had a few more pages left, and then I would be finished. I put my elbow on my desk and pinched the bridge of my nose in exasperation. I knew that stupid cat wasn't going to let his body regenerate; he's only going to make his cold even worse the way he's dealing with it… so maybe I was wrong, he did need supervision.

Why is it always me putting effort into keeping him in line?

I heard another faint cough come from downstairs and I rolled my eyes. If he wants to be stupid and make his cold worse, that was his problem, not mine... but I still couldn't help but feel like I should be involved.

I pushed him out of my mind and focused on the homework I had at hand. Next week was exams, and I felt more nervous then ever over them. I've lately had a terribly time trying to get a hold on my concentration, my mind keeps slipping to other things.

I picked up my pencil and flipped my textbook open.

Through the next couple of hours my mind was filled with war, politics, numbers, elaborate names, and the sound of my pencil scratching against paper. It was only a few minutes after I had gotten halfway through when I heard Kyo's voice rage from downstairs.

Frowning in disapproval, I set down my pencil and lifted myself from my seat. I tugged at the collar of my shirt before opening my door, closing it behind me, and making my way down the hall. There was definitely something going on down there, it seemed like we had visitors due to the unfamiliar voices sounding from the kitchen.

I stepped down the stairs and entered a familiar scenario.

"Kyo's siiiiiiiick!" Momiji sang, clinging onto Kyo's shirt.

Kyo shoved his forearm across his nose and pulled away from Momiji's grasp, leaning up against the counter, "GO AWAY!" His voice was hoarse in his throat, and he shoved a fist against his mouth as a rough cough escaped him.

"Hello Yuki!"

I looked over to see Tohru at the other side of the kitchen. I gave her a smile, "Hello, Miss Honda, how was work?"

"It went well!" She smiled at me, "Momiji and Haru came to pick me up and walk me home!"

"Haru?" I didn't see him-

I caught movement from the corner of my eye and I turned to see Haru approaching me solemnly before placing a hand on my shoulder and inspecting me.

I blinked under his intense gaze as he used his other hand to tilt my face left and right until he finally spoke in contemplating approval, "Hm. doesn't look like he got you sick."

"Hello, Haru." I replied blanky, knowing better then to think he'd make his presence known casually.

"SDOP TOUCHIG BE!" Kyo barked sickly, stumbling away from Momiji who gave a cheerful laugh at his expense.

"Momiji, is there a reason why you're here?" I asked carefully, Haru leaving my side while slipping his hands inside his pockets.

"Oh yes!" Momiji latched onto Kyo's shirt again and leaned back, turning his face over to me, "its Friday remember! We came to pick you up to go to the Hotsprings! Shigure already left earlier on with Ayame—and they took Hiro, Kisa, and Kagura since they had the full day off!"

At least I knew where Shigure had gotten to now, wouldn't have to worry about him sneaking around.

"But Kyo's siiiiiick!" Momiji swung around on Kyo's shirt. "So you have to stay here!"

"TO HELL IF I CARE!" Kyo's voice sounded thick in his throat as he tried pushing Momiji away from him with no success.

I watched as Haru wandered over to Tohru, where he slung an arm leisurely over her shoulder, "What do you say I help you pack, Tohru?" his voice was silky, and his grin insisting.

Tohru's face instantly went crimson red and she began to stutter impressively until Momiji bounded to her from Kyo, "I want to help Tohru pack!" He grabbed onto Tohru's hand and leaned towards her with a smile, "You'll let me help, right Tohru?"

"O-oh, I couldn't ask for you to h-help-"

Haru smiled at her, "You didn't ask, did you?" and without another sensible sentence from Tohru, she was dragged up the stairs by the two. Haru seemed to be quite all right with having Momiji wander after him like that, they always seemed to be together.

A cough rang through the air, taking me out of my thoughts. I looked over to see Kyo leaning his back against the counter and shove his face in his elbow as he let out another stream of coughs.

"Did you take some cold medicine?" I asked plainly, almost positive he didn't, and walked over to the medicine cabinet without waiting for an answer. I saw Kyo shake his head between coughs and I opened the cabinet, pulled out the cardboard package, and walked over to him.

"So stop being stupid and take some." I placed it on the counter beside him and looked down at the cat that was curled up in the corner. I was impressed that it had been able to hide from Momiji-- if he had found her, a lot of love would be flying through the air.

A cracking sound erupted suddenly, soon followed by a faint scream. I turned from Kyo and made my way back up the stairs, the noises coming from Tohru's room growing louder until I had reached her opened room. I stood in the doorway and saw Tohru sitting on the bed with a bewildered expression on her face and a rabbit in her arms with Haru lying down beside her.

"I think Miss Honda would get more done without you two." I suggested. Haru pushed himself up on his elbows and looked over to me.

"Have you finished packing, Yuki?" Haru inquired suspiciously.

I shifted in the doorway, "I'm not packing."

Tohru snapped out of her trance, "What? Yuki, aren't you coming?"

I shook my head and saw Momiji snuggle up close under her chin.

Tohru opened her mouth-- "But you must come! Is it your homework? I can help! I know I'm not very good, but I can try my best-"

"I'm going to stay with Kyo."

Haru grinned and lay back down on the bed while comprehension dawned on Tohru's face.

"But he's fine!" Momiji decided to join in. "Come on, you must come!"

"I'm not really excited to see the outcome of leaving Kyo sick in this house for the weekend." I said lightly, "Besides, I do have some homework I should catch up with. Tohru, please go and enjoy yourself, nothing would make me happier."

She looked at me with sad eyes, but then Haru reached up and tugged at her ponytail. She looked over to him with a slight blush as he spoke, "C'mon, leave those losers here. Let's go have fun."

Another soft crack rang through the air and smoke engulfed Tohru, and when it faded there was a naked Momiji standing in front of her with a finger pointed in resolve to the roof, "YES! Let's go have FUN!"

Haru lifted his leg and shoved at Momiji's chest, sending him falling to the floor, "Get some clothes on."

Tohru was hiding her face in her hands as Momiji sang cheerfully while slipping back into his clothing.

(Kyo's POV)

I heard a cracking sound as Yuki placed the cold medicine beside me. I watched as he turned from me and only averted my eyes when he disappeared up the stairs. I grumbled to myself moodily and turned around, reaching up to the glass cabinet. Once I had a cup in my hands I turned on the tap, not caring what temperature it was, and filled the glass. My head started to spin again and I let out a few coughs before I felt the water wash over my fingers. I took my overflowing glass out from under the water, turned off the tap and took a pill from the cardboard package.

I popped the tablet onto my tongue and tipped the glass of water to my lips. The water was unpleasantly warm as it seeped into my mouth, and I felt the pill slip down my throat smoothly as I swallowed. Sticking out my tongue at the powdery after taste, I spilt the water down the drain before setting the glass inside the sink. I put a hand to my heated forehead, feeling dizzy, and I took a step towards the cat that was curled up in the corner conspicuously.

I bent down and lifted her flexable, soft body from the ground, and tucked her in my arms as I turned and made my way out of the kitchen. The walk upstairs was almost painful, my thoughts wavering at the unpleasant heat in my head. I let another cough scratch from my throat as I absent-mindedly opened my door and shut it behind me. I trudged over to my bed and let the cat slip from my arms before collapsing on top of my sheets.

My head buzzed painfully as the spinning began to subside. I sniffed again before curling up in my sheets, and with the voices down the hall hazing through my mind, I fell out of consciousness once more…

**-****End****-**

**AN-** I dont know about any of you, but I would be quite interested to see the outcome of leaving a sick Kyo alone in my house for the weekend.  
thanks you for reading  
Please **!Review!** any suggestions, critique, comments, pointless rambling, and opinions are much accepted, and appreciated.  
we'll see when I post the next chapter...


	39. Chapter 39

**AN-** I do not own FB. Thank you everyone who has reviewed!! You're all amazing, many clicking glasses to you.

**Chapter Thirty-Nine  
**

(Kyo's POV)

Through the fogginess of my unpleasantly hot sleep, I felt a weight rest on the edge of my bed, and I ignored it until someone starting shaking at my shoulder. I rolled over stubbornly and grumbled out of my scratched throat.

"Kyo- I know you're awake."

"I'm _not."_ I said moodily shoving the sheets over my head. "Go away."

I felt my shoulder shake insistently again, "I got your dinner, get up and eat it."

"'Not eating any of your shit." I croaked, burying my face deep in my pillow as my sheets got pulled back off my head.

"Tohru made it for you,"

"I'll eat it _later."_ I growled through a hoarse throat. A moment passed where there was no reply, but the weight on my bed didn't leave. Wrinkling my nose, I turned over and glared through sleepy eyes at Yuki who was watching me insistently.

"_What?"_ I hissed, scratching my throat even more. All day he's been bickering about how I should be in bed—and I'm finally in it and he can't leave me the hell alone.

"You need to take your Cold Medicine." Yuki lifted up the package of pills.

I wrinkled my nose at it, remembering the bitter powdery after taste, "I already had some."

"You need to take it every four hours."

I groaned and rolled back over to my other side, "Screw that."

But the package popped up in front of my face and Yuki rattled it around—With a disgusted look, I reached out to snatch it, but Yuki pulled it away.

I turned over, "Stop IT!" My voice scratched against my throat, "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR-" Yuki reached over and popped a pill inside of my opened mouth—I cringed in disgust and was about to spit it out in a fit when Yuki's hand covered my mouth. I grabbed onto his wrist and attempted to pry him off- the powdery taste melting on my tongue in a completely disgusting way.

"You can either dry swallow it-" Yuki lifted up a glass of water, "Or drink it down. You're choice."

I glared daggers at him, my forehead hot and buzzing. He was evil; he was the reincarnation of evil, that evil damn rat-

I reached over and grabbed the glass of water from Yuki's grip, pushed myself up and tugged Yuki's hand away as I tipped the glass to my lips. There was no point in spitting it out now; it basically already coated my tongue in its disgusting taste. I let the water fill my mouth and I swished it around to get as much of the taste off of my tongue before swallowing, my face scrounged up in revulsion.

Yuki slipped the glass from my grasp and pushed himself off of my bed, "I'll be back later for your dishes."

I watched him as he left my room and closed the door behind him. I looked over to the desk beside my bed, a bowl of soup resting there, the steam rising from it. I shoved my forearm over my nose, grumbling at how I couldn't even smell it. I reached over my bed at a box of tissue and grabbed a couple before blowing my nose a few more times.

"_Meow-"_

"GAH!" I jumped up and fell halfway off the bed. I blinked up at my bed as a cat peeked over the edge at me. I groaned and bonked my head back onto the floor. "Right… you're still here." I peeked back up to her and pulled my legs off of the bed. I sat up and rested my back against my bed, reaching over and grabbing the warm bowl of soup. I glanced at my digital clock beside it and slumped my shoulders. It was seven PM. It was still Friday. This was turning out to be the longest day of my life.

I sighed, pulled my knees up to my chest and balanced the bowl on it as I started to eat.

(Yuki's POV)

It was about an hour ago that I heard Kyo fall off of his bed. I didn't bother going back to see what happened, there was always something with him, so I stayed in my room and concentrated on the little amount of homework I had left. At least now that I wasn't going to the hotsprings, and Kyo was sick, I had a chance to focus on it. It turned out that the exams were next week, so I had to start taking it seriously. But through the dragging minutes I lost more and more of my concentration, until I was tapping commercial jingles with my pencil against the desk out of boredom.

Sighing, I pushed my chair away from the desk with a scrapping sound, and decided to go and get Kyo's dishes. He was probably asleep again, so I'd have to be quiet. I opened my door and closed it behind me before wandering through the hall to Kyo's door. I tapped on it briefly out of habit before opening it and sliding inside.

Kyo looked over to me. He was lying on his back with one hand behind his head, and the other stroking the cat that was curled up on his chest.

I walked over to him, "You feeling any better?" I asked, picking up the empty bowl from the floor and placing it back on his desk.

He shrugged before turning his attention back to the cat, "I guess."

I reached over and placed a cool hand on his warm forehead. His eyes drifted back to mine. "You're still warm." I sat back down on the side of his bed, "Do you want me to get you a wet cloth?"

"Nah, I'm fine." Kyo ran his hand down the cat's back and she arched into his touch.

"She's quite fond of you." I said, "Are you going to keep her?"

"Feh, you kidding?" Kyo put on an indifferent face; "She's just a stupid cat that got sick from being in the damn rain too long."

Kyo's hand flinched away as the Cat extracted its claws and scratched at his palm. It gave him a pissed off glare (somehow it managed it) and pounced from his chest, off the bed, and strutted across his floor and slid out of the door I had left opened.

I looked back at Kyo, "Well, you're quite the charmer."

Kyo lifted his hand in front of his face and examined it, "She's just over-sensitive."

I decided that I should go and look for it before it got into any trouble. I lifted myself from the bed, picked up the bowl and was about to turn away when Kyo spoke.

"Where is everyone, anyway?"

I glanced over my shoulder at him, "The Hotsprings."

He looked back over to me, "Huh? You didn't go?"

"Of course not." I said frankly, "I'm not leaving the house in your sick hands."  
He glared up at me, "I can take care of myself, I don't need a damn babysitter."

"I'm not a _babysitter."_ I said, "And you're too stubborn to take care of yourself." I walked across his room and closed his door behind me. I stood still for a second and let out a breath before walking back down the hallway. I descended the stairs slowly, and when entering the kitchen I made my way over to the sink and cleaned the bowl in my hands.

Now all I had to do was find that cat.

(Kyo's POV)

My body was tight from my sleep, and I reached over my head before arching my back off the bed, twisting my spine in a long stretch. I fell back into my sheets and gave a content sigh. I was feeling so much better—my stomach didn't feel like it was intoxicated by mushy trash, and my nose felt clear and easy to breathe through. I still had a headache, but I could ignore it. I felt something pat against my shoulder, and I looked over to see the cat pawing at me. It gave an insistent meow, and my stomach growled in agreement.

I yawned as I pushed myself up and slid my legs off of my bed and onto the floor. I glanced over to the clock I had on my desk—and I nearly fell over. I reached across my bed and shoved my curtains open before being blinded by the blazing sun. I shielded my face with my forearm and accepted it: I had slept in until noon.

I grabbed the hem of my torn and dirty t-shirt before tugging it over my head and throwing it onto the floor. I rubbed my eyes as I wandered across my room, looking for something to wear. I bent down and picked up a white t-shirt that looked fairly clean and I tugged it over my head, slipping my arms through the short sleeves. I then glanced around, looking for a pair of pants. I found some old jeans lying close by and I reached over and snatched them from the floor. I tugged off my sweat pants and pulled on my jeans, feeling better now that I was out of my sick clothes.

"C'mon, let's go." I waved a hand at the cat that was watching me curiously from the bed. She bounded off the bed and followed me as I wandered out of my room and down the hall. I made my way down the stairs, the cat slipping passed me, and into the kitchen where Yuki was standing in front of the stove—

Oh shit, not this again.

Yuki glanced over to me, "You're finally awake?" He turned his attention back to the pot he had on the stove, "Come over here and help, I don't think I'm doing this right."

I walked over to him and peeked over his shoulder, "… the hell's that?"

Yuki poked at it with a spoon and the big glump inside of the pot squirted, making both Yuki and I flinch back before he answered, "Um… You know, I'm not quite sure anymore."

"Were you planning on feeding me that?" I said in disbelief.

"Tohru didn't leave anything else." Yuki said, "I thought I could do it…"

"The hell you can, that looks like sumthin a dying bear would shit." I grimaced at it.

Yuki gave a distempered groan and took the pot off the stove, walked over to the wastebasket and dumped the pot over—the insides landed with a squishy sound in the basket. He dropped the pot into the sink, nudged passed me and tugged open the refrigerator. I watched as he took out the milk and pulled open one of the cabinets to grab a glass. He filled the cup with milk, then tugged open a drawer and took out a granola bar. He lifted the glass and walked back to me, shoving the two items into my chest and I grabbed onto them before he let go.

Yuki leaned his back against the counter, looking annoyed and glaring at the floor.

I looked down at my breakfast… and couldn't help but grin.

Yuki laced his arms across his chest, and I decided not to tease him. I ripped open the granola bar with my teeth and took a bite of it; the taste of chewy hazelnut and honey filled my mouth. I had expected Yuki to just tell me to make my own food, but this was on one of Yuki's least possible reactions. I washed down my food with the glass of milk before taking a few steps forward so I was directly in front of Yuki—but he still didn't look at me. I placed my glass and bar down on the counter and braced my hands against the counter of either side of him.

Yuki still gazed in annoyance down at the floor… and I gave a sigh. I lifted one of my hands and tilted his chin up for him to look at me.

When I had his gaze I gave him a grin, "Thank you."

His eyes looked away from mine and I had to bite back a small laugh. I really did appreciate it, how he was staying back here with me. But I wasn't going to directly tell him that.

I definitely didn't like how he was being so distempered, though. That was my job. I brushed my thumb across the skin just bellow his lip, but he ignored that too. I didn't like being ignored, especially by him.

So he left me no choice.

I leaned in close, and brushed my warm lips against his. I trailed my fingers along his jaw line as I rolled my lips once more against his—trying not to grin at how stubborn he was being with me. I planted a kiss against the corner of his mouth and slid my hand to the base of his neck. I was going to get a reaction out of him one way or another…

I snuck my fingers into his hair and brought his mouth against mine, my lips more insistent as they moved freely against his. I felt Yuki lean back into me—and I grinned against his lips, curling my fingers into his silky hair. I felt his arms unlace themselves from his chest and his hands rested against my chest as I captured his mouth in a gentle kiss, and soon I felt him kiss me back until-

I felt the hands at my chest shove me back, but I kept my hand in his hair.

"What, are you trying to get me sick?" Yuki said in a would-be offended voice if it wasn't for the tint of pink in his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his hand against his mouth.

"I'm not sick, rat," I said, but the grin on my face kept me from seeming serious, "I took your magic cold pills, remember?"

Yuki reached up and enclosed his long fingers around mine before pulling my hand away from his soft hair. I slid my hand into my pocket and braced my other hand against the counter.

"Wanna do sumthin?"

Yuki looked at me and I continued, "I've been in this damn house for days, I wanna get outside."

"Alright." Yuki pushed against my shoulder and walked passed me, "I needed to do something anyways."

I glanced over my shoulder and watched Yuki go from the kitchen to the entrance hall. I grinned at myself as I turned back to my glass of milk. I picked it up and took another sip before bending down on the balls of my feet.

"C'mere," I invited the cat that was wandering around the kitchen. She slunk over to me and I tilted the glass.

She stuck her head into the glass and began to lap hungrily at the milk. When she had her fill, I stood back up, dumped it into the sink, grabbed my granola bar and went after Yuki. The door was already open so I tugged on my shoes and left the house, the cat slipping passed the door before I closed it. I hopped off the porch and spotted Yuki walking into the trees. I made my way after him, biting off another piece of the granola bar greedily.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** Oh god, please dont virtually punch me, I know it's short. But you dont want the weekend to go by too fast, do you? Right? nnn no i deserve it, send me punches if you want. But I will have next chapter up tomorrow!  
ohwha, the next one is FORTY! Chapter FORTY!! it will be longer.  
I know the last one was build-up, and you're gonna kick me since this was basically build up too-- but the next chapter will be soon, so **!Review!** if you would like, I'd love it!


	40. Chapter 40

**AN-** THE BIG FOUR-OH EVERYONE!!  
I'm so proud of getting this far!!  
Thank you everyone who has reviewed!!  
(FB is not mine)

**Chapter Forty**

(Yuki's POV)

Kyo finally fell into step with me, munching on the granola bar I had given him, with his cat strolling along side. The weather was fairly nice seeing as it had rained for the past two days—it was a relief that the others wouldn't be spending their hotsprings vacation hiding inside with each other.

I was actually a bit glad that Kyo was better now—it wasn't shocking that he got well so soon, his immune system was pretty good, it just lowered immensely whenever it rained, I could safely assume. If he had taken the cold medicine early, he might have been better in time for the trip. I wasn't complaining though… I was glad that we had the place to ourselves for the weekend. I did rather it then going to the Hotsprings with every one, and we never had a decent amount of time alone together.

But at the same time, it kind of made me feel a little bit nervous… being alone with Kyo. I peeked over to him through the corner of my eye. He looked like he was really enjoying being outside in the sun—it glimmered in his hair and his eyes were gleaming with ease.

It was getting harder to keep myself composed with him… and without anyone around, I didn't know if I could find reason enough to keep myself in control near him. Earlier, when we were in the kitchen, he had sent electricity shooting through me—and I adored kissing him, but over time… I've been wanting more…

"- further?"

"What?" I shook myself out of my thoughts and looked over to Kyo.

He frowned at me, but continued instead of throwing at insult at my space-headedness, "How much further?"

"Umm…" I glanced up, recognising the placement of trees and the path, "It's just up here." I nodded forward. I led him through a few more trees and finally reached my garden. It had been a while since I've been here, and seeing as it rained for two days I expected a few things to be ready for picking.

"You did this?"

I reached inside of my pocket and pulled out two pairs of gloves, "Yeah. Here," I passed him a pair and he caught it easily, "You're not afraid of ants, are you?"

"No." He said in defence, "Why the hell would I-"

"I was just asking." I walked around the patch of dirt, "Just pull up whatever looks ready to you."

I tugged my gloves onto my hands and bent down on one knee. I pulled a plastic bag from my other pocket and tugged a few strawberries from their stems. It was a good thing I was doing this now, if I had left it for tomorrow they'd all be mush and useless.

"You have _leeks?"_

I glanced up at Kyo who was crouching down and wrinkling his nose at one of the things I have planted here.

"Yes. You don't have to eat them." But he still wrinkled his nose in disapproval. I sighed, "They're not going to bite you, Kyo."

"I know that!" He barked. He definitely wasn't sick anymore. He reached out and grabbed onto one before tugging ruthlessly at it. I sat back and watched him with an amused grin… he wasn't going to get anywhere with that, but I wanted to see how long it would take for him to figure that out.

He actually did get it out though… granted, he showered dirt all over the place, but it was still impressive.

"HAH!" Kyo barked in victory, "YA CANT BEAT ME, DAMN LEEKS! I OWN YOUR ASS!"

I dropped my face into my hands—he really was too much. How was he able to keep that up so much? I looked up with an amused grin and Kyo's eyes shifted to me like he forgot I was there… and he frowned at me as his cheeks tinted pink.

I pushed myself up from the ground and walked over to him, "You don't do it like that." I sat down beside him and reached for the next leek, "You have to twist it," I grabbed firmly as close to the dirt as I could get and twisted my wrist as I pulled at it. It slid easily from the dirt with little reluctance, and I looked back at Kyo.

His hair seemed to frazzle right there and he slid his glaring eyes at me before snatching the leek from my grasp, "That was what I was _doing!"_

I hit his head, and turned as the grin tugged at my lips again. It would be interesting to see how much help he would be.

We stayed there for a while, pulling up whatever seemed ready. Kyo rooted a few things that weren't anywhere near ripe, and when I pointed it out he just puffed up in frustration and stuffed it back into the dirt-- so I decided not to mention it anymore.  
He seemed to actually be having a good time. He wasn't laughing or anything, but there was a certain calm about him, even when he started yelling at whatever he was trying to get out of the dirt… whenever he would shoot a remark back at me it didn't seem to be offensive.

I was a bit reluctant to admit it but—I actually liked doing this. Spending time with him, it was enjoyable. Through the empty insults we threw back and forth in a teasing manner, an easy conversation started to evolve between us... and it was the most infantile things—like exams or the summer, until we started to get more personal. He told me that he wanted to take another trip into the mountains for more training, and he said it with such sincerity and excitement, and his eyes lit up that way they did whenever he really got pumped for something.

I could tell he really respected Shihan… he always called him Shishou, and there was such esteem and admiration in his voice whenever he did.

He touched on my cooking for a teasing moment, but left it alone after that. Over the few hours we spent out here he began to actually become pretty decent at pulling up the leeks and vegetables. There were a lot of things in my garden that we could use for food, since Tohru hadn't left us any meals. I really didn't expect her to cook us food for the weekend, I was actually quite impressed that she was able to make Kyo the soup she had before leaving.  
Kyo's cat had been slinking around since we've got here, and I've noticed how it's gradually been creeping closer to me, but I decided to ignore the stupid thing.

Kyo had his t-shirt sleeves rolled up on his shoulders and he wiped his forearm across his brow, "Are we almost done?"

I took a look around, "Yeah, I think we're finished." I lifted up the pile of vegetables and plants that I had picked and slipped them inside of the plastic bag by my side.

I heard a hissing and glanced over to see Kyo's cat crouching a few paces away from me. It eyed me and I leaned away from it... the cat had been eyeing me ever since it's been getting better, but it's kept to Kyo's side most of the time to my relief-- I really didn't like cats-

Suddenly the cat sprung and I leapt to my feet as it went flying through the air, but I stepped easily out of the way before it collided with me-

"Kyo, get a leash on your psychotic cat!" The fur on it's back fringed up and it let out another hiss as it pounded at me again until-

It gave a strangled noise and landed back to the ground as Kyo kept his grip on its tail firm. His laugh rang through the air as he lifted himself up from the dirt that he landed on after lunging for the cat. He dragged it back from me; it's claws digging into the earth and its ears flat against its head in a threatening manner.

"C'mere, the hell do you think you're doing." Kyo let go of his grip on its tail and scooped it up into his arms, his amused smile dominant on his tanned face. He walked over to the edge of the trees and put her back down, "Get going." He nudged it with his feet and it reluctantly paced the boarder until Kyo bent down and pushed it passed the trees, "Go find some other rat to eat, that one's mine."

I felt a huge blush burn at my cheeks and I tried to put on an offended front, "Dont think you can start talking like that! And stop laughing!"

He looked over to me from his shoulder, his smile radiant as he let out another laugh. I don't think I've ever heard him laugh so freely- but still,

"I said don't laugh! It's not funny!"

He pushed himself from the ground and walked over to me with an amused grin, "I'm sorry... did she hurt you?"

"No!" I curled my hand into a fist and punched him in the shoulder with enough force to make him stumble to the side a bit, but not enough to wipe that smirk off his face. If he thinks he can get away with calling me his rat, he was definitely dreaming.

He reached out and tugged at the hem of my shirt, tilting his head with a small grin. When I didn't shove him away he stepped closer to me until I could almost feel the heat radiating from his body. I looked stubbornly into his eyes, and they were gleaming with amusement.

"I guess she smelled the rat in you." He said with a light, teasing voice.

I still didn't reply, and that seemed to bother him, just like it had in the kitchen. He was really in the teasing mood today, and as much as I preferred it to his shouting—it was still unsettling how I couldn't shoot anything back at him like I was able to before.  
Especially not when he was glowing like that.

He must really be enjoying the sun after the last few days of rain; I've never seen him so carefree.

I felt his hands rest on my hips and even though my pulse was quickening in my throat I still didn't show any reaction to him. Then he leaned into me—and his soft lips brushed against my cheek, down to the corner of my mouth were he laid a feathery kiss.

"I wouldn't let her hurt you, Yuki." He breathed against my lips.

His scent, the sun, his heat, his breath… my eyes slowly slid closed under the feeling of him. He brushed his lips against mine, and let out a hot, slow breath… and the reason why I was being so stubborn slipped my mind immediately. I leaned forward into him and pressed my lips against his, which tightened in a small grin before he responded back to me.

His mouth was warm and soft against mine, and he tasted of granola and the promise of summer. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and I placed my hands against the collar of his shirt as he captured me in a long kiss, the sun pooling us in heat.

One of his hands left my waist and I felt the rough fabric of his gloves against the skin of my neck. He grunted against my lips and pulled back from me, trying to tug off his gloves. I gave a chuckle at his lack of success and wrapped one of my arms around his neck, pulling him back to me and claiming his mouth for myself. I felt him fidget against me, then I heard something land on the ground and his warm hand coiled around my neck as his lips moved more insistently against mine.

I reached my other arm around his neck and slipped my hands out of my own gloves. His arm wrapped back around my waist and I laid one of my hands on it, his warm skin soft underneath my touch. He pressed his body closer to mine, insistent on keeping us as close to each other as possible. The heat from his body and sun was beginning to make me a bit dizzy… and I realised that I had forgotten to breathe against his warm lips.

I pulled back, but he pressed his mouth against mine immediately, and I had to curl a hand into his thick, soft hair and pull him back to catch my breath. His hot breath washed over my face as I felt his chest rise and fall against mine. I felt him lean in to close the space between us once more, but I pulled his hair back again.

"I think we should head back." I breathed.

There was a moment when I had to keep a firm grip on his hair since he still hadn't pulled back… but after feeling his warm sigh against my lips, his arm unravelled from my waist and I slid my hand from his hair.

The heat from Kyo's body left me as he took a step back and I bent down on my knees to grab the full bag on the ground in excuse to have a moment to clear my head. It looked like I still had some control… that was good.

I stood up and walked passed the trees and back onto the path, Kyo's steps following me.

Yeah… I can get through the weekend, right?

Kyo fell into step with me, "Tell me we're eating something filling for dinner."

"That's going to depend on how well you can cook." I glanced over to him, "unless you feel like dying-bear-shit and granola bars." **(-)**

He wrinkled his nose at me, "Don't even joke about that."

(Kyo's POV)

"Just drop them in." I instructed, holding the handle of the pan away from Yuki as he slid the sliced vegetables into the frying pan. After we got home we've been preparing dinner for ourselves, and so far Yuki's done a decent job of cutting up the vegetables… I shot a playful insult at him at one point, but that was before Yuki brought it to my attention that he was holding a knife.

I lifted the spatula and shifted the veggies amongst the oil and sauce as Yuki placed the cutting board into the sink. I watched him wash off the knives that he used, his slender fingers running along the sharp blade, the water skimming over his skin and the smooth metal.

I knew what his hands felt like—when he brushed his fingers against my skin, or combed them through my hair… I knew what his body felt like against mine, slight and delicate. But at the same time… I had no idea. And I wanted to know…

When he was finished he dried off his hands with a nearby towel, and I reached out and enclosed my fingers around his delicate wrist.

I could wrap my fingers around his wrist easily, it was so thin.

Yuki looked up at me questionably and I tugged him closer to me. I slid the spatula into his hands and pulled him in front of the pan. It was dangerous, I know, but he was never going to get better if he didn't try.

"Just… don't touch anything, and keep mixing it." I cautioned as I moved away from him.

"How do I know when it's done?" He asked, a bit of nervousness in his voice.

I walked over to the sink and filled a container with water, "Stop before you normally do." I felt Yuki glaring daggers at the back of my neck as I brought the water over to the rice maker, poured it in along with some rice, and turned it on.

I heard my stomach growl again. I couldn't believe the only thing I've eaten today was that damn granola bar.

I walked back over to Yuki and pushed myself up so I was sitting on the counter just beside him. I peered over into the pan… everything seemed to be all right.

"Wanna watch some TV?"

"I'm a bit busy at the moment." Yuki stirred the contents in the pan again.

"I meant after." I leaned over the pan and pulled out an unidentifiable vegetable and popped it in my mouth. It was nearly hot, and had a saucy flavour to it… but I still couldn't put a name to it.

"Is it done?"

"I'd give it another minute or sumthin." I licked my fingers and rested my head against the cabinet behind me. "What do you think they're doing?"

"Chasing after Momiji for the ping pong paddles." Yuki said absent-mindedly, catching how I was talking about the others at the Hotsprings.

"He sucks at that game." I remembered the last time I was at the Hotsprings—and Momiji kept on challenging me, and when I finally complied his nose barely reached the edge of the playing board.

"You're not quite pro yourself." Yuki said with a suggestive voice.

"Hey- If you hadn't quit I would've kicked your ass!" I said in defence.

"I didn't quit, you turned the table over."

"Cuz you sucked so much it was pissing me off!"

"I was the only one scoring points, cat."

"Cuz you're a wuss!" I leaned forward, "You were too scared to challenge me to a fist fight!"

"You're the one who challenged _me_."

"NOW YOUR JUST TWISTING THINGS AROU-" Yuki's hand shoved itself on my mouth and my voice became muffled.

"If you want burnt food, keep talking." Yuki threatened, his eyes sending unpleasant icicles down my spine.

Stubbornly, I kept my mouth shut as he took his hand away from me and placed it back on the handle of the pan. There was no way I was going to jeopardize the only decent meal I'll have today… even if that meant letting Yuki delusion himself into thinking he beat me at ping pong.

After my temper cooled off, I looked into the pan, "I think it's done now."

"How do you know?"

I reached over and picked up another clump of food from the pan and popped it into my mouth. I opened my mouth and let out a hot breath before chewing it and letting it slide down my throat, "It's done." I hopped off the counter, turned around, opened the cabinet I was just leaning against and pulled out two bowls.

"Turn off the heat," I said as I walked over to the rice maker. I opened it up and filled the two bowls with steaming rice before going back to Yuki and placing the bowls beside him, "Put an even amount on both of them… and if you put more on yours, I'll beat your ass."

I wandered out of the kitchen and into the living room, where I switched the TV on. The glow filled the room and I flipped around the channels. I didn't really care what was on; I just missed the noise and the way it was like watching another world through a box. I was easily amused.

I ended up leaving it at some kind of broadcasted movie that seemed to have a Martial Arts and violence in it. I was up for some of that.

I slunk back and slouched on the couch, feeling perfectly at ease.

(Yuki's POV)

The glow of the TV was mesmerizing as I watched it in my tired state. Kyo and I had been sitting here watching nothing in particular for the past few hours and we had finished our dinner a while ago. It was actually quite good; it was the first time I've been able to cook something without burning it. Even Kyo had told me that it didn't taste like vomit… which was an amazing compliment coming from him.

The room was dim since the sun had set a while ago, and the only light in the room came from the television. Even though I've sat on this couch before, and watched the television before, it has never been this comfortable.

Kyo had gotten tired a while ago and was lying down on the couch, one of his legs slung over the arm of the couch. I was leisurely running my fingers absent-mindedly through his thick, soft hair, and either he didn't seem to mind, or he was too tired to notice. My eyes felt heavy and the voices from the television were echoing throughout my mind in a daze. I stretched my arms over my head and arched my back, giving a tired yawn before relaxing back into the soft couch.

I let my fingers comb themselves back through Kyo's hair when I felt something warm and soft touch my skin and I looked down to see Kyo coil his fingers around my hand. He shifted onto his back and pulled my hand over him before he slid his over mine, as if comparing them.

I saw a thoughtful look calm his face in the glow of the television. So he had been awake.

"What is it?" My voice was quiet with sleep, but I knew he heard.

Although I had long fingers, his hands were still bigger then mine. He was just like that, he had more muscle then me, he was a bit taller then me, and he weighed more then me.

He tilted his head back to look at me up side down. His eyes were hazy with the need for sleep, but at the same time they were very pensive.

His fingers laced themselves between mine and I felt my pulse quicken. His eyes left mine to watch my fingers close around his.

"Nothin'." His voice was barely a breath, "You're just… fragile."

… All right, that's it—Kyo was definitely half-asleep. That was one of the most uncharacteristic things he has ever said to me. He should know more then anyone that I'm not fragile, how many times do I have to knock him to the floor to get that through his head?

… But, maybe it's because I show him my rough side more then anyone, that my softer side would seem much more drastic to him. Either way, there was a scary feeling how his words flowed right through me… like there wasn't even a wall around me…

I looked back down at Kyo—his eyes had slid closed, his fingers loosely tangled in mine next to him. The light from the television danced on his face, and he seemed so peaceful and at ease. Being sick must have really taken a lot out of him.

It was this whole scenario. The flittering lights from the television, the otherwise dark room, the empty house, the lack of sleep… I think it had both of our thoughts fogged up and unreachable.

My eyes were getting harder to keep open and my vision shifted with fatigue—I was definitely going to fall asleep here if I don't get up now. Kyo, however… already seemed pretty content with sleeping on the couch. I didn't really feel like hearing him complain about back issues tomorrow, though.

I slid my fingers reluctantly from his—it wasn't often he would give me such an affectionate touch—and I lifted my tired body from the comfort of the couch with effort. I stifled a yawn and turned to Kyo who seemed completely out of it now.

"Come on, get up." I tugged at his hair but all he did was grumble and roll over to his other side. I sighed and grabbed a hold on his arm before pulling until his body fell off of the couch with a muffled noise.

He rubbed his head where he hit it and hoisted himself up by his elbows, "Wadda hell..."

"C'mon, go to bed." I grabbed a hold of his elbow and helped him lift himself off of the floor. Once I had him up on his feet I kept a firm grip on him as I led him through the living room. I heard him yawn beside me as we made our way up the stairs, Kyo bracing a hand against the wall for more support as he drooped his head to the floor.

I made my way through the dark hall with him and let go of his body to open my door when—

Kyo's hand was already on the handle, keeping me from escaping into my room. I turned around to look at him, and he braced his forearm on the wall above me and looked at me with hazy eyes.

I waited expectantly for whatever he was going to say—if it was anything stupid, I was going to knock him out and make him sleep on the hallway floor. I was dead tired, and I could barely keep my thoughts straight, and I was definitely not up to hearing any resolves right now-

"D'you wanna sleep with me?"

…

My heart jumped into my throat as I finally processed his words in my foggy head. Did he… Did he actually just straight-out ask me to sleep with him? Oh god, this guy must seriously believe he's dreaming right now…

Kyo slumped forward and rested his head against my door beside my face.

"Only tonight…" he breathed next to my ear. He really did sound tired and exhausted… he was definitely going to pass out right when his head hits the pillow… I can sneak back to my room when he falls asleep, right? There, problem solved, just go and wait till he's fast asleep and then leave…

I felt his hand enclose around mine for the second time today and he pushed himself away from me. His eyes were definitely tired, but also undeniably persuasive. He pulled me along with him as he slid his own door open. I know I've been in his room more then once but… now it seemed to have a very different air about it.

I slid the door closed behind us as he tugged me over to his bed. I would've told him to just go to bed if I wasn't so tired myself.

I didn't feel like putting up a fight, that's why I'm letting him tug me across his room...

I'm too sleepy to snap at him, that's why I'm crawling into his warm bed beside him...

I'm too exhausted to walk away, that's why I'm sliding underneath his covers…

I'm immensely worn-out, and that's why I feel so comfortable lying in his bed...

I'm completely drained of my energy, and that's why I haven't let go of his hand yet…

I feel completely at home, in the softness of his bed, next to his warm body… but it's only because I'm so tired…

Whatever the reason was, it didn't change the fact that I fell into a divine sleep

**-****End****-**

**AN-**  
_**(-)** Reference to last chapter, Yuki's breakfast skills. (in case you didnt catch that)_

thank you for reading, and **Please !REVIEW!** that would be amaazing!!


	41. Chapter 41

**AN-** Yes, I did post this before-- but the computer went all piss sticks on me and somehow it ended up deleting or something? So I am terribly sorry to all of you who got lieing emails-- but it's up now so it's all good _-whew-_  
So please, read and enjoy-  
and... i want Kyo + Yuki plushies too... _-flop-  
_(Fruits Baskets is not mine)

**Chapter Forty-One**

(Kyo's POV)

The fog of sleep danced through my mind as I felt myself become conscious. I reached up lazily to run my hand through my sleep-mused hair, and stretched my body along my sheets, feeling my back crack in a few places. I let a purr vibrate through my chest as I relaxed back into the immense comfort of my bed.

I let my eyes drift open. I looked up and saw my window covered by my curtains, but the sun still shone dominantly through and cascaded tinted light across my bed. I turned my head over to my other side and looked at Yuki sleeping beside me before sliding my eyes closed to drift back to sleep…

Wait, what?

I snapped my eyes open and blinked. Yuki was lying next to mine, his hand curled in front of his sleeping face.

I blinked again… then once more.

All right… what the hell is he…

Ummm okay, last night last night… we were watching television…

I felt like something hit me in the back of the head as I remembered my tired proposal that I had offered Yuki in a very gentleman-like manner.

I slapped a hand on my face. Shit, what the hell was I thinking? I can't believe I did that. I peeked over at Yuki through my fingers… but even more; I couldn't believe that he agreed. I felt something in my stomach swirl pleasantly. I sighed and dropped my hand from my face… there was nothing I could do about it now. He was sleeping in my bed, and he would wake up in my bed.

He was probably going to kill me with questions and I would have no answers.

While awaiting my unavoidable doom, I decided to take in the moment… secretly. I pushed myself up on my elbow and turned onto my side, gazing down at him. His hair was mused with sleep, sticking up in odd places and falling in his face. His breathing was slow and serene, my sheets rising and falling over his body in the slightest motion. But I was most captivated by his face… usually when I saw him sleep there would be something about him that would send my innards twisting with a disconcerting feeling. But at this moment, wrapped in my sheets, his head resting on my pillow… he looked… at peace.

There was a calm serene air about him, quiet warmth.

There was a word… There has to be a word… what is it…

His body shifted slightly underneath my covers and his fingers curled before relaxing once more.

… Beautiful?

Is this what beautiful means?

I frowned down at Yuki and scrunched up my nose.

No… whenever I heard that word, people would be talking about a dress, or the sky, or a painting hung up in a temple.

Whenever I run my hands through his hair, I don't compare it to silk… I compare silk to his hair. No fabric could ever hold the swift feeling of his hair sliding through my fingers.

Whenever I glanced into his eyes, I wouldn't think of the sky… it was the sky that reminded me of his eyes. No sky could ever compare to the way his eyes would glisten with emotion; there were no thunderstorms that could balance the icy flash in his eyes when he would turn cold, and I've never seen a sun that could blind me like his eyes would whenever they would grow warm.

And no painting drawn by a human hand could capture the way I see him, the way he makes me feel.

I felt a small grin tug at my lips. Maybe I was a bit territorial over him, and that possessiveness came out with pride as I watched him sleep in my bed.

I wanted him to be mine and no one else's.

Yuki stirred under my gaze and I lifted my eyes to check and see what time it was. I frowned at the numbers once more… I had slept in till noon again. This was getting to be a habit, wasn't it?

"Nnn…"

I looked back down at Yuki as he rubbed the back of his hand over his eyes. I felt a smirk overcome my face; he really was pitiful in the mornings.

Yuki's hand fell from his face as he slid his eyes open. His hazy eyes glanced around before they finally fell on me.

I waited for the flamethrower…

"Kyo?" His voice was a mumble, groggy from sleep as he shut his eyes again and grimaced against the light.

I bit back a smirk, "What?"

He reached his arms over his head, his long body stretching along my bed. There was so much of him.

"What're you doing in my bed." He asked in a drowsy mumble. I leaned back on both of my elbows and watched him for his reaction as I opened my mouth.

"You're in my bed."

_You're in my bed._

I wanted to say it over and over again, I wanted to stop time, I wanted to keep him here all to myself. I wanted him all to myself. Every part of him. I'm selfish… I'm selfish, and I'll admit that.

The sleepy fog hazing Yuki's eyes seemed to lift a little as he opened his eyes more alertly. He pushed himself up on his elbows beside me and looked around to see if I was just pulling his tail. His hair was completely untidy, and the top buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing the milky skin of his collarbone.

Even though I've been in his messy room before, I still had the idea that he was just naturally tidy, neat—but this moment crumbled it down with a grin on my face. I think I was the only one who's seen him like this, and I pleasured in that thought. He rested back down in my sheets and turned his face slightly to gaze up at me through his sleepy eyes.

We stayed like that for a moment… Me looking down at his mused state, and his warm hazy eyes gazing up at me.

He was really out of it in the mornings.

I looked away from him, hanging my head back and lounging back into the softness of my sheets and pillows. I wasn't tired anymore, after sleeping in till noon for two days I was pretty well rested. But I didn't feel like leaving my bed just yet, and even more didn't feel like leaving Yuki. I didn't think I'd get the guts to ask him to sleep with me again, unless we stayed up till one in the morning again.

There was no way I would let myself sound that desperate with him.

I felt him roll over beside me. I peeked over to him, to see his eyes closed and his hands curled up in front of him once more. I furrowed my brow at him.

I reached over and tapped the side of his head with my knuckle, "Hey, rat…"

A low, sleepy sound rumbled from his throat lazily, and that was the only response I got.

"You're not still tired, are you?" I asked incredulously.

"Not really…" He said in a small exhale. "I just haven't slept like this for years…"

I looked at him, a blush creeping into my cheeks. At least he wasn't going to snap at me for pulling him in my bed. Besides… it wasn't that big of a deal. Everyone sleeps, and the only difference tonight was that we were lying unconscious beside each other instead of alone.

So if it wasn't a big deal…

Then how come I had this wondrous feeling wash through me?

I turned away from him, agitated at myself. I hated it when this happened… I hated having this weird, indestructible feeling confuse every thought in my head. I wasn't about to let it get to me, nothing was stopping me from leaving, there was nothing going on now, and I didn't care if Yuki was sleeping next to me.

I pushed myself up and was about to get off of my bed, my mind set, when I felt Yuki's long fingers enclose themselves around my wrist, stopping me with that gesture. I glanced over to see him looking at me, he didn't seem to be as sleepy as he had before… but there was still some dream-like haze in his already mesmerizing eyes.

I couldn't get myself to pull away from his grasp… it would have been easy to break, his fingers were loosely closed around my wrist, I could slip out of it easily…

But maybe it's because it would be so easy to slip out of that I couldn't do it.

His fingers slid from the skin of my wrist, a tint of pink on his cheeks as he buried his face in my pillow, curling his hands securely into his chest.

I felt my blush burn at my cheeks, and I raised an eyebrow at him, even though he couldn't see. The stupid rat was acting all weird, I knew it was just because he's dead in the morning… but even with the comfort of that thought, I still couldn't get rid of my blush.

Stubbornly, I rested back down into my bed beside him, twisting onto my stomach. I crossed my arms over my pillow and shoved my face in its protection. I wasn't leaving because I just didn't feel like getting up, that's all.

Teh, it's not like it meant anything, there wasn't anything special about him sleeping with me… he was just probably too tired to put up a fight.

I bit at my lip at whatever feeling was welling up inside of me now.

I lifted my head and rested my chin on my arms, looking over to him through the corner of my eyes. He was looking down at my pillow with a blush on his cheeks.

He must have felt my gaze, because his eyes wandered over to mine.

I looked at him, my cheeks warm… I didn't get why I felt like we had grown so close, but having him sleep beside me… I've never felt so intertwined with him before. We didn't kiss, speak, we weren't even touching… and for some reason, I felt like this was the most intimate we have ever been with each other.

I've never felt so damn stupid in my life as I do with him—but I wasn't sure if 'stupid' was the word anymore.

His eyes were a bit cautious, like he was expecting me to jump up and yell at him anytime. He looked kind of like a child who did something wrong and was about to get scolded. I frowned at him—the hell did he have to be so nervous about? I'm the one who asked him to stay with me.

I felt a warmth wash over me-

… He stayed with me.

Dammit, and there was that feeling again… I felt so damn hopeless with him. Out of my mind, out of my head… and at the same time, I felt like I was the most significant person in existence, like I could defy the whole world.

It's those feelings, the ones that make me feel alive, that scare me the most.

I looked away from him quickly. I needed to pull myself together, this was just stupid...

I pushed myself up onto my knees, my sheet falling off my body as I ran my hand through my hair in a frazzled manner.

"Do you want to go out?" My voice was quieter then usual, but it still seemed like an avalanche in the warm quiet of my room. I looked back at him stubbornly to see him looking up at me like I had just asked him how many kids he wanted to have.

He opened his mouth, "Like… a da-"

"Like we go and get some food." I cut in quickly, feeling my cheeks burn as I crossed my arms over my chest, "I don't feel like cooking, alright?"

Yuki blinked up at me, then slid over, onto his back, pushing himself up into a sitting position, "sure." He rubbed a hand through his hair and covered his mouth to stifle a yawn.

I still felt like my cheeks were on fire, and I reached over and pushed at his head so he had to catch himself before falling off my bed.

I raised an eyebrow at him and felt a crooked grin spread across my face, "You're really pathetic in the mornings, you know."

He looked back at me with a dominant blush, "You're not too cheerful either, cat." He mumbled.

I pushed myself up and jumped off the bed, reaching high to the ceiling in a long stretch. I looked back to see him sluggishly push himself off of my bed, detangling himself from my sheets. He put a hand to his face sleepily as he walked across my room, until he braced a hand against my wall to keep himself up.

I snorted, "Don't take too long getting ready, Prince." He was going to have one hell of a time, how did he manage it every morning with our time crunch?

"I'm not gonna take long…" He contradicted me.

"You're gonna have one hell of a time with your hair." I walked over to him and leaned against my wall in front of him. He looked up at me and I gave him a smirk, "It's sticking up everywhere."

"S' not as bad as yours." Yuki retorted.

"Didn't say it looked bad."

"Didn't say yours did."

I blinked at him—then let out a laugh: So what, instead of insults we were hurtling compliments at each other now?

"Augh, you're giving me a head ache, baka neko." Yuki pushed passed me and left my room, looking more awake.

"Hurry up or I'm leaving without you, rat." I said, my voice warm from my laugh as I heard him grumble, 'shut up'.

I snorted at him, he was definitely not a morning person. I, on the other hand, was often in the better mood when the sun first comes up. I slunk against my wall and slid down to the floor. I crossed my arms over my knees and rested my chin on it. I bit back an odd feeling.

He stayed with me...

**-****End****-**

**AN-** _-wheeze-  
_I've been so sleep deprived lately, I feel so damn jealous of these two.  
So please **!REVIEW!** I would love to hear any input output whatever's in your head, anything at all, i would really appreciate it. THANK you!


	42. Chapter 42

**AN-** I was so scared that I wasnt going to get this up today _-slump-_ BUT I DID!  
And um um... -_blush-_ amazing amazing reviewers, I think you all just made my float up to my cieling a few times  
THANK you so much!!  
And here is Sunday in it's 7 page glory:

**Chapter Forty-Two**

(Yuki's POV)

"It's to the left."

"Shut up, I know where I'm going!"

"I'm not going to wander aimlessly down the streets with you." I said calmly, "I'm hungry, and I'm going left." I turned away from him and walked down the sidewalk without him—and surely enough he was strutting beside me with that putout look on his face.

I smiled, there was the chance he'd just leave, or grab me and drag me down his way. I was really enjoying how he wasn't being as hostile towards me—of course, his body language right now wasn't exactly reading 'I'm having such a good time, darling, we should do this more often', but I was grateful for that too. I put a hand to my mouth to hold back a laugh and hide my smile at that thought.

It was hot out today, and I knew that would help put Kyo in a good mood. We were walking down the street downtown, and it wasnt too busy so we didn't need to pay too much attention to dodging the girls around here, which was good because I wasn't really in the attentive mood.

I was losing myself in my mind again, but this time there were no thoughts, or words… but a strange feeling. I've felt it before; when he hugged me for the first time, when he brushed aside my hair, or when he had held my hand—it would be for the slightest second… but this time, it had washed over me the whole morning that I spent with Kyo. I had expected him to jump up and tell me to leave when he first woke up, or leave himself even when I had touched his wrist.

The morning passed in a haze, though, I wasn't the most attentive person when I wake up. But some of the things I could remember without any hesitation… like his eyes—they were gentle, and almost… affectionate. He was looking at me in a way that shot through my sleepy mind, and right into the cockles of my heart. It was an odd, and pleasant feeling.

One other thing that came clear through my hazy state was his laugh. It was bright, and blinding, and if I wasn't so tired, I might have even stared. I don't hear him laugh enough, his honest laugh. It flew right through me, like his words.

And of course, it was a bit special to me since he rarely did laugh.

I wasn't going to see him smile very much today, he looked a bit frazzled, and his cheeks have held a tint of pink for quite some time now. But that was all right, as long as he wasn't about to make a scene with me… but knowing him, we'd wreck havoc on the streets sometime soon.

Kyo shifted away from a passing girl, and looked over to me with a stubborn glare.

"If you get us lost, it's your fault." He started. I resisted a sigh, and kept my eyes forward.

"You already got us lost." I contradicted.

"To hell I did! You were the one throwing all those confusing directions at me."

"And you were the one who wasn't taking them."

I was right, he was overly frazzled this morning. "Ya know, you're really annoying for a stupid rat." he glared forward.

I looked over to him with a bluntly incredulous expression, "Well, at least I wasn't the one asking the 'stupid rat' to sleep with him."

Immediately Kyo flinched back, a blush burning his face into a dark shade of pink, "WHAT? I DID NOT! SHUT UP!"

Alright, so it wasn't the best thing to say—but I was getting a bit tired of the whole 'stupid rat' thing, it was beginning to get really old after how many years? "Admit it," I provoked, "You're either scared of the dark, or you wanted to cuddle."

"SHUT UP! I DON'T CUDDLE!" Kyo's face was an impressive shade of red, "I WAS TIRED! MY BRIAN WASN'T FUNCTIONING PROPERLY!"

"You're brain is never functioning properly." I said absently as I tugged my collar looser around my throat, "Stop making up stupid excuses."

"GRAH?" He just wasn't going to stop. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO AGREED!" He pointed an accusing finger at me.

"Shut up, you're buying lunch."

"TO HELL I A-"

I closed my hand over his mouth and looked at him, "Would you like me to pay for you?" I gave him a small grin and ran the sides of my fingers along his cheek, a blush burning underneath them, "I do owe you for the lovely night, don't I?"

I was very proud of myself when his blush was undeniable, and he looked absolutely speechless for the first time in his life. He opened his mouth a few times, a shocked look in his eyes, until he quickly threw my hand from his face and turned away from me, "D-don't do that!" he snapped, walking forward again, "I'll pay!"

He was too much fun, and I tried to hide my smile.

--

(Kyo's POV)

I ran my hand in an agitated manner through my hair briefly before crossing my arms on the table. We had finally found a place to catch lunch in, and the place wasn't all that bad—it wasn't crowded, but it wasn't empty either. There were about five other couples in here, sipping on tea and eating with their chopsticks.

I was completely frazzled—Yuki's been toying with me all day, and I could tell. I guess he pushed passed whatever insecurity he had and knew that he had me coiled around his finger. It was the whole 'D'you wanna sleep with me' thing. I knew it. I knew he'd be getting cocky with me sometime… and I had basically nothing on him.

But back to the diner, the food wasn't half bad. It was actually a relief to get something substantial after two days of soup and self-cooked meals. I still preferred Tohru's cooking, but I shouldn't be complaining since I'm paying for this. Dammit—who does he think he is, swindling a meal out of me.

Yuki, sitting across from me, crossed his legs and leaned an elbow against the table, swirling his straw around in his glass of water and ice, "So…" He didn't look up at me, "Could I consider this a date?"

My brain clicked. "Wha- NO!" I felt my cheeks burn for the millionth time today—if he kept this up, my head was going to literally explode. "The hell makes you think that?"

Yuki's eyes slid over to me and he rested his chin on the back of his hand as he tilted his head at me with a persuasive look in his eyes.

"I-it's not a date!" My voice was just below a yell.

"You are paying for me, aren't you?"

I swallowed nervously—a date? With that rat?

Why was that so difficult to grasp—it wasn't a big deal, dammit nothing's a big deal! But when _he's_ involved… suddenly, _everything_'s a very big fricken deal.

People went on dates, it was normal, casual, nothing personal or intimate—it wasn't like he was asking me to declare my feelings on top of the empire state building or anything. But maybe it was because it was so casual, and normal… With him, nothing seemed casual, nothing was normal. Everything was personal, every glanced, every word, every gesture. It all meant something.  
But I still tried to brush it off.

"Don't be so stupid." I looked away from him with a hard blush, "If you want it to be a date, then _fine._ It's a goddamn date."

I let out a frustrated breath and glanced over to see him looking at me with a small smile and a tint of pink on his cheeks. I shoved an accusing finger in his direction, "But I'm paying so that makes you the girl!" my voice was triumphant, "HAH!"

Yuki coiled his fingers around mine and leaned forward—the unexpected gesture had my innards seizure almost pleasantly. He wasn't exactly towing with me this time—it was almost like everything he's said was in a sincerely affectionate way.

"All right." He gave me a slight grin, "It's your money."

(Yuki's POV)

It was a while since we had our meal, and since I pulled enough courage inside of me to bring up that more personal conversation. He didn't object really to what I said—so it really encouraged me with him. It was a bit odd, considering this time with him as a date. That term was thrown around so often, that I felt like Kyo and I… were pretty normal in that sense.

But I had nothing to worry about right now. We were still roaming the streets that were steadily becoming less and less crowded as the sun neared the point of horizon, the golden glow gradually easing into a gentle mist.

Kyo and I were sitting at a large fountain, me on its rim and him with his back against it beside me on the ground. A calm feeling washed over me as the water flowed down from the statue in the middle of the fountain behind me, and all the quiet people who seemed so distant to me.

I took a sip of my drink before resting my elbows on my knees and holding it back down from my face. It had actually been quite a pleasant day—we hadn't really created a scene, except for when he had yelled like a maniac at me before we ate… but I blamed that on his hunger. We wandered around for some time, sometimes we stayed quiet, other times we were hurtling insults at each other, and an occasional normal conversation came between us. But with Kyo and I, nothing really seemed normal between us.

I looked over to him, resting his arms back on the rim of the fountain, head laid back, eyes closed, enjoying the last glow of the sun before it sank into it's sunset.

I placed my drink down on the concrete ground, and folded my hands as I rested my forearms on my thighs. It was really childish, what I wanted to know, what I was thinking in my head right now… but that didn't stop me.

"Kyo…"

"Mmm."

I glanced over to him, his eyes still closed. He was really enjoying the sun, and knowing that he was relaxed and at ease at the moment gave me a flicker of confidence.

"Well…" I looked down at my laced fingers and glanced up towards the sun that was emitting a soft, golden glow from in between the buildings.

"It's… a bit stupid." I lifted my laced fingers so they were in front of my mouth as I contemplated what I was about to say.

"I'm used to it." He said in a teasing manner, his voice soft with ease, encouraging me to continue subtly.

"Are you…" I glanced over to him, and was glad to see his paralysing eyes were still shut. I forced the words out of my mouth, "Are you my boyfriend?"

His eyes lifted open and he turned his head slightly to look at me. His eyes held shock—and it was like he was looking at me in a different way…

His cheeks glowed a subtly pink once more, and he turned away from me, "Feh, if you wanna label it or sumthin."

I felt relief wash over me—if Kyo didn't smash whatever I said to pieces then it meant that he didn't really disagree with it.

"Not to label it, really." I said absently as I gazed up at the sky, the water echoing from behind me. "More of a reassurance." I rested my chin in my palm again, my elbow balancing on my knee.

"Reassurance of what?"

I glanced over to him and he was looking at me with a curious gaze.

"To keep off all the love-crazed boars, I suppose." I grinned at him playfully.

"Hah." Kyo looked away from me, "Calling you my boyfriend isn't gonna help me with your damn fangirls, why should it help you with Kagura?"

I didn't answer right away—I was repeating his words in my head. Even though we've grown considerably close, he still was hostile towards me in some situations—so it was a strange change to see him so relaxed, talking about me like that. Usually he'd get all upset and defensive whenever I brought us up…

"You're right." I said hopelessly, "I don't think anything will protect you from them."

"You don't even have problems with Kagura, do you?" Kyo said in agitation. I shrugged, knowing he was right.

"Hell, you know what, you don't get you're ass kicked enough." Kyo pushed himself up onto his feet and I looked up at him as he stood in front of me.

"So what, you're gonna teach me another one of you're lessons?" I raised an eyebrow and leaned back on my hands.

"You just wait." Kyo said determinedly, "I'll kick your ass someday, and you wont forget it."

I looked down and chuckled, "Is that so?" I looked back up at him with a smirk and lifted myself up from my seat. Kyo tensed as I stepped close to him, enough to feel his breath.

I reached up and held his chin with the side of my finger. I leaned forward so my lips were just a breath from brushing against his. I felt him lean forward into me, but I pulled back just enough that he couldn't make contact. I shifted to the side, his body turning with mine as brought my lips close to his again—but when he made to close the inch between us, I pulled back again and shifted to the side again. When I had him where I wanted, I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his before shoving at his chest-

"GAH!"

There was a loud splash and I covered my face with my arm as water sprayed all around me. I lowered my arm from my face and looked into the fountain where Kyo was laying soaked and in shock.

I brushed my hair from my face and gave him a smirk, "Will that be someday soon, Baka Neko?"

"You-YOU DAMN RAT!" Kyo shouted from the water as he made to stand up, "YOU KNOW I HATE WATER!"

"And you know I hate it when you make those stupid resolutions that you never keep." I let out a sigh; "it does get boring after the first hundred times."

He glared at me, looking completely dishevelled in the fountain with his hair dripping wet and his shoulders tense with distaste.

"I'm going home, are you coming?" I turned and walked in the opposite direction—when I suddenly heard the sound of disturbed water and before I could react wet arms were enclosed securely around my waist and I felt the sensation of flying through air before-

_Splash!_

I was thrown into the wet, cold water, my body surrounded by the surreal feeling and my ears filling with the faint buzzing from the sensation. I surfaced quickly, gasping for air from the shock. I slid my wet, dripping hair from my face and looked over to Kyo who was looking completely disgruntled beside me—but with an amused smile in his eyes.

"HAH." He barked, "Take _that_ ya damn rat!"

"YOU BAKA!" I lunged at him, shoved him underneath the water as he spluttered madly.

(Kyo's POV)

I grabbed the hem of my damp t-shirt and slid it over my head, un-sticking it from my chest. I felt sick, my body sticky from my battle in the fountain with Yuki. There was water, claws, insults, no air, and more water—and, of course, Yuki was the one who had me yelling out mercy between getting my head dunked repeatedly into the water.

"Uck," I slid out of my pants and pulled out some loose sweats as I heard Yuki finish up his shower. I pulled an old t-shirt over my head and shook my head, trying to get my hair dry. It was less wet, but still damp in between my fingers.

When I was dressed, I made my way out of my room, closing the door behind me before I made my way down the hall, and descended the stairs. When I got into the kitchen I strolled over to the refrigerator and pulled out my carton of milk. I reached up, opened the cabinet, and took a glass. I tilted the carton over my cup and filled it halfway before shoving the milk back inside of the fridge.

I picked up my glass and tipped it to my lips, letting the cold taste fill my stomach as I swallowed it. It had been a long day while it lasted, but now that the sun had set, it seemed like it went by too fast. Tomorrow was Monday, and that meant the others would be back… so Yuki and I wouldn't have the whole place to ourselves anymore. It was a stupid thing to be disappointed about, but I kind of liked being alone Yuki with no one else around, no one to worry about. It was… a bit easier to be myself.

I set my empty glass down in the sink and leaned my back against the counter. I thought about what happened today, especially about the fountain—when he had asked me if I was his boyfriend. I hadn't thought of him like that before, but with the sensation it provoked inside of me, it was if I've wanted to hear that for a while. Since I've been feeling so territorial and possessive of him lately, that should be exactly what I've wanted to hear from him. In some way, it felt like it was as if he was asking if I was his.

It was just… so casual. So official.

I heard Yuki upstairs, descending the stairs, and I looked over to see him enter the kitchen with a towel covering his body from just bellow his collarbone to his mid-thigh.

"Why are you walking around in a towel?" I asked bluntly, a bit shocked.

"All my clothes are dirty." Yuki said simply, walking across the kitchen.

"What- so you're just gonna walk around in a damn towel?" I said in incredulity.

"No." He said in an obvious tone, "I'm going to see if I can throw on one of Shigure's robes and do the laundry, or something."

"You cant be serious," I watched him stall before leaving the kitchen to look at me. Although his towel covered most of him modestly, there still seemed to be a lot of his skin showing—his skin was paler then I thought, almost like milk, and his legs were more slender then I had imagined, and his arms were thin, wrapping around his towel.

"I don't really feel like staying in a towel." He said bluntly.

"His clothes are probably more dirty then yours." I pushed away from the counter. Besides, I didn't want to see him in some one else's clothing—especially Shigure's. I reached out and wrapped my hand around his soft, slim elbow. I could almost curl my fingers all the way around it... he really was lean, and if his skin wasn't so smooth I could have mistaken him for a statue of a god… or more appropriately, goddess.

"C'mon, my clothes will fit you better." I told him, tugging him along with me across the kitchen. I was a step in front of him when we climbed the stairs, "If you didn't push me into the damn fountain, you'd be just fine." I said harshly.

"You deserved it." Yuki said plainly, "Honestly, I wish you could hear yourself sometimes."

I looked back and wrinkled my nose at him before pulling him into my room. I let go of his elbow with reluctance and scanned the floor with my eyes, looking for something clean. He was a lot thinner then I thought, I wasn't sure if my clothes would fit him properly anymore. I went to my closet and opened it, grabbing the cleanest pair of pants I could and the least torn shirt. All of my good clothes were dirty, as well. Yup… Tohru was definitely gonna have one hell of a time.

"Here, try these." I pushed them into his chest, and he wrapped an arm around them. "I'll be back, so hurry up." I moved past him, and wandered out of my room to the washroom. I slipped inside and shut the door behind me. I walked over to the sink, turned on the tap, and let the cool water run over my hands before I cupped them underneath it and splashed my face.

I grabbed a face cloth and shoved it across my face before reaching for my toothbrush and cleaning my teeth. The sharp taste of toothpaste filled my mouth as I scrubbed my cat-like fangs clean, and when I was finished I turned the tap back on and spat out the flavour in my mouth. I shoved my forearm across my face and opened the washroom door again—Yuki should be finished dressing.

I wandered back down the hall and back into my room to see Yuki with his back to me, tugging at the hem of my shirt that was draped across his shoulders. He glanced over his shoulder at me before turning around.

"Hah, you're smaller then I thought." I pushed away from the door and walked towards him. The shoulders of my shirt kept slipping passed his, revealing his creamy skin, and my sweat pants seemed like they were in danger of slipping off his thin hips.

"I'm not small," Yuki looked down and tugged the shoulder of my shirt back over his, "You're just a beast."

"No, I'm normal." I stood in front of him, feeling a swelling feeling of pride wash through me at seeing him in my clothes. I don't know why, but it felt amazing—it was the same feeling I got when I woke up to him. It was like having him wear my clothing was an odd way of marking him as mine.

"You're anything but normal." Yuki said as I reached out and caught the fabric of my shirt in between my fingers.

"Maybe." I said almost silently. I scanned his body with my eyes once more stepping closer to him.

"You like that, don't you?"

I looked back up at Yuki's eyes and they were looking at me in an accusing way, "You like seeing me in your clothes."

"What makes you say that?" I took another step closer to him so we were merely inches apart.

"You have that look in your eyes."

I've always hated that about him, how he could read me. Whether it was in a fight, or in a situation like now. He never missed a beat. I took my hand away from the shirt he had on, and placed it leisurely on the skin of his neck. I forgot that he said anything; I forgot that we could even speak.

I placed my other hand on his hip and leaned closer into him until I could feel his calm breath wash over my face. Yuki, now used to my forward nature, placed a hand on the one I had on his hip, and made to close the space between us when-

I pulled back an inch, and looked into his eyes with a slight glare, "You're not gonna push me out the window, are you?"

"Don't be stupid," Yuki reached up and combed his hand through my hair, pulling me back into him until our lips met in our first kiss today.

He was just as I remembered him to be, soft, gentle, cool, and patient. He captured my lips in his easy swiftness, dragging his fingertips over the back of my hand, while the one I had at his neck dragged slowly down to his back. I slid my hand over his shoulder blades, and down the crease of his spine. I hooked my arm around his waist as our lips moved with each other easily, and tugged him closer to me.

I know I told him he was fragile before, but feeling how loose my clothes were on him, he seemed so frail. I was compelled to keep my grip on him like a breath, and my lips over his like a thought—but Yuki wasn't as delicate as he looked.

I felt his fingers curl in my hair as he quickened our kiss, his lips more insistent against mine as his hand dragged up the bare skin of my arm, sending shivers up it in pleasant haste. I wrapped both of my arms around his waist and allowed him to set the pace—until I felt his shaky breath wash over my mouth and press his body flush against mine. I tightened the grip I had around his waist, and curled a hand into his hair, keeping his mouth hot against mine.

I felt compelled to keep him as close to me as I could, not allowing one breath between our lips, not allowing one beat of my heart to sound without him against me.

I let my arm drag across his back, and I slid it underneath the hem of my shirt until I felt the cool smoothness of his skin. Yuki pulled back a moment to let in a quick inhale when I pressed my lips back against his. His skin felt so smooth as I dragged my fingertips along his waist, tracing his hipbone, and the skin just above the waistband on my pants.

Yuki seemed more out of breath as I deepened our kiss, and I slid my fingertips up his cool, soft skin, sliding over his waist and up his side until Yuki broke away from me, his breathing heavy against my face.

I pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, giving him a moment to breath and finding out that I needed one just as much.

I slid my fingertips down the cool skin of his side with slow intentions, feeling him breathe in a shaky breath beside my ear. I slid my hand along his skin to the small of his back, breathing against the crook in his soft, delicate, pale neck.

He's mine.

"Kyo…"

His voice was a breath, not an invitation, but a thought. I took his voice with caution, but my fingertips still trailed along the small of his back, as I breathed against his neck, "Yes?"

I felt his hand drag itself down my arm, and enclose itself around my wrist; his voice was nearly silent, almost like a caution directed towards himself, "I should get to bed."

My instincts told me to growl possessively, keep my arm tight around his waist, and refuse to let him leave.

But I had grown more human with him… and, with difficulty, slid my hand away from his skin. I turned away from him, willing myself to let him leave, "All right."

I felt Yuki hesitate, then felt him move passed me. I felt instantly cold.

After hearing my door close behind him, I let out a long breath and put my hand to my face. I allowed myself a moment to clear my mind until I wandered over to my bed, slid underneath the covers, and rolled over onto my side.

I wanted to ask him to stay with me again—I didn't like how empty my bed felt even now.

(Yuki's POV)

I shut his door behind me, and immediately froze, trying to let out the breath that's been sticking ruthlessly to my lungs. He was so warm…

I shook my head and walked over to my door, which I opened and closed behind me quickly. I forced my legs forward, even though every fibre in my body was screaming at me for leaving him. I crawled into my bed, Kyo's clothing hanging from my body, and slid underneath the covers. I rolled over to my side and curled my sheets into me.

I guess I'm still a bit insecure with him.

I didn't want to be… but I still was. He just felt so amazing, his hot breath, soft lips, and warm fingertips… I realised I was holding my breath again, and I let it out. If I kept this up, I would be fainting all over the place tomorrow.

He made me so nervous, but at the same time I felt so completely at ease with him. It was so confusing… and I was going to spend the last night of our weekend isolating myself in my room, in the comfort of his loose clothes. At least with his clothing, I could still have his comforting scent.

I lay there for a few hours, trying to get to sleep, to will myself to slip into unconsciousness. But the harder I tried the more I awake I became. I pushed myself up from my sheets, Kyo's shirt slipping over my shoulder once more, and glanced at my clock.

It was one thirty am.

I pushed my knees up to my chest, folded my arms across my shins, and rested my head on my knees. I wasn't going to get any sleep, was I?

I sighed and looked out the window. The moon was bright, but the soft grey clouds were slowly slipping in front of it, hiding it from my view.

He was probably asleep by now, right?

I tugged at my sheets and bit at my lip.

I could sneak in… just for a few moments; just get some sleep, then leave. He would probably be too out of it to even register it completely. Yeah… yeah, just sneak it, have a nap, then leave—

"Ugh!" I slapped my face with my hand and grimaced at myself. How pathetic was I sounding right now?

I slid back down into my sheets and attempted to fall asleep again. But my mind kept whirling, and thoughts kept spinning. There was no way I was going to run off to Kyo. That was just stupid, how immature could I be?

I tapped my finger against my sheets, chewing my lip.

What a stupid thought. What made me think that being in his bed would help me sleep?

I ran my hands through my hair.

…

This was just ridiculous.

I pushed myself up and out of my bed, making my way across my room, opening and closing my door behind me. I walked across the hall silently, and when I neared his door I felt a moment of hesitation wash through me…

I was always going to be nervous around him unless I push myself passed that.

I slowly slid his door open, slid inside, and closed it behind me. I kept my breathing silent and walked over to his bed—and saw Kyo push himself up on his elbows to greet me.

I felt my body flutter with anxiety—but when I got to his bed, I was able to let the words out with silent confidence,

"I can't sleep."

Kyo looked up at me for a moment, and then turned away, shifting his body to the other side of his bed as he tugged his sheets closer to him, inviting me. I crawled in gratefully, relief washing through me like a thousand waves over a dry beach.

I settled into his bed, and with strange suddenness all of my insecurity, insomnia, uncertainty, and spinning thoughts washed away from me.

I slipped my arms underneath his pillow and laid my cheek on it, closing my eyes and almost humming with appreciation. His bed was so warm, his scent was everywhere, and I felt safe, secure.

I felt Kyo shift back down from his elbows and in moments I was drifting into a swift sleep, saying goodnight to our weekend together with a warm sigh.

**AN-** Thank you for reading, and please **!REVIEW!** for me! I'd really love it!


	43. Chapter 43

**AN-** NOOO! I am SORRY!! I haven't updated for what, THREE DAYS? I'm a monster... -slump-  
My personal comp. is on the fritz (Hence the false appearence of chpt.41 a while ago) so I have to use my family computer... and that requires some sneaking about (since they dont know I write fanfic... and would most likely kill me if they found out I do, especially boyxboy) but anyways, I'm trying to keep my updating constant--please bare with me.  
So without further delay, Chapter Forty Three...

**Chapter Forty Three**

(Kyo's POV)

I slid my eyes open.

The morning sun was streaming into my room from the slit in my curtains, a lazy glow of light coloured my sheets.

It was Monday.

I had my finals this week, and the others were coming home today.

I didn't spend a minute studying this weekend—I planned on doing just that today, now that Yuki and I wouldn't get a moment alone for the next 24 hours.

At the thought of Yuki, I glanced over my shoulder in expectance.

I wasn't surprised this time to see him sleeping beside me, curled up and looking at rest. I was relieved… when he came back. I thought he'd be upset with me from last night. I slid my hand onto my forehead and let out a sigh. He was always the one pushing me away… I needed to keep myself in better check. It has just been getting harder, controlling myself around him. I would definitely have to try harder if I didn't want him to end up punching me out at some point. Yuki wasn't the one who would let me get away with anything.

I looked at him again, and was glad that he got some sleep—he wasn't pleasant company when he was tired and grumpy.

I glanced passed him and at my clock—

It was seven am.

I felt relief wash over me; at least I wasn't sleeping in until noon anymore.

I lay there for a few more minutes, just breathing and listening to Yuki breath… but after ten minutes, I felt like I needed to move, to do something. I wanted to stay with him, to watch him sleep with that peaceful look on his face. The one he rarely had. I wanted to be with him—but I knew that it would be better if I let him sleep, seeing as the longer I stayed the more I wanted to touch him, to feel him.

I sighed and pushed myself into a sitting position, and ran my hand through my messy hair. I was going to have to pass the time until Yuki wakes up somehow. I slid my sheets off of my body and silently left my bed, trying not to disturb Yuki. When I was standing on my bedroom floor, I looked around my room expectantly. I found one of my hoody's underneath a pile of books and tugged it off the floor before slipping my arms through the sleeves and zipping it up.

I walked over to my door, opened it and hesitated. I glanced over my shoulder to Yuki, who was still sleeping soundly in my sheets. I furrowed my brow at him, my cheeks growing a bit warm… I could remember a time when I would spend my nights dreaming of beating him… Now, I spent my nights dreaming beside him.

I felt agitated at myself, and would've slammed the door shut in my infuriation if I hadn't stopped myself a second before. I walked down the hall, grumbling at myself as I took the stairs two at a time. Whenever I felt a sincere emotion, I would get defensive and agitated, that's how I dealt with it… and I've had to do a lot of dealing lately.

So I strutted through the kitchen, shoved on my shoes, and left the house before closing the door behind me. I breathed in the fresh, crisp morning air as I walked forward. I was glad I had my hoody, one thing I learned from training in the mountains is that even summer mornings were cold.

I delighted in the breeze, and let my emotions consume me as my body took over my mind in my morning run.

(Yuki's POV)

I felt my mind nudge me awake, the subtle fog of my content sleep drifting from my consciousness. I reached my arms over my head and stretched my body along the warm sheets, sighing contently as I rested back into its comfort.

I saw the sun trying to shine through my closed eyelids, and I turned over in a grumble, displeased with the bright intrusion. I feel like I've been sleeping for a long time, my muscles like fluid and my bones like mush. The sensation wasn't unfamiliar; I've felt it the night before this, when I had slept with Kyo…

I reluctantly slid my eyes open, and was greeted by a blurry room. I blinked a few times, rubbing the back of my hand over my eyes, and opened them again—I could easily recognise the room now. It was Kyo's.

I felt confusion mix in with the sleepy fog that was masking my thoughts. I thought I was in my own bed last night… Didn't really matter, I was comfortable, and in complete heaven…

"Are you awake yet?"

My eyes flew open from drifting closed and I glanced up to see Kyo standing in the doorway, a towel slung across his shoulders, his hair damp from… hmmm… maybe he fell into a lake… then why's he here, he should be tangled in… in… seaweed or… something…

"Get up." Kyo kicking his bed jolted me back awake, and I grumbled at him before burying my face in his pillow. I didn't want to get up, I was comfortable. And wow, his scent was everywhere…

"Don't make me drag you out," Kyo's voice slipped through the haze of my sleepy mind, "The other's are gonna be back soon, and you're gonna have one hell of a time if they catch you in my bed."

That got through.

I lifted my head and looked over to him, "So?" I slurred, not really caring even though something was nudging in the back of my mind for me to listen to him.

He furrowed his brow before walking towards me, "Did you get enough sleep?"

"No." I stuffed my face back in the comfort of his pillow.

"Well, that's what you get for staying up till one thirty," Kyo said, reluctant to give me a peaceful morning. "Come on, I'm serious."

I felt his hand on my shoulder, his warm fingertips touching the part of skin that was exposed by his ill-fitting shirt. "Just… a little longer…" I mumbled lazily into his pillow. I heard him sigh, and then slump to the floor beside me. I turned my face from the pillow to watch him cross his arms on the sheet beside me and rest his chin on top of them, looking at me curiously.

I gazed back at him… he had such pretty eyes…

"You don't get a lot of sleep, do you." He asked almost silently.

I furrowed my brow at him, my mind still hazy from my sleep— "I sleep." I said lazily.

I gazed back into Kyo's eyes, as he didn't turn away from me. He looked like he was trying to figure something out, like if he looked deep enough he could find an answer in my eyes. I breathed in, secretly adoring his scent that was filling my head, making me even sleepier.

"Why do you have nightmares."

His question was out of the blue, and didn't help my mind gather it's scampered thoughts. I blinked a few times, trying to clear my head—"Everyone has nightmares." I said bluntly, unsure of what he was trying to get at.

He frowned at me, replying almost cautiously, "Shigure told me that you've had them ever since you left the main house."

I remember when I had come here from the main house—The first few months were the worst. It was every night that I would wake up in a cold, shivering sweat, unable to catch my pulse or form a coherent sentence, as Shigure had a cold glass of water ready for me. It wasn't before long that Shigure had grown accustomed to them, and stopped coming into my room with that concerned look on his face. As the time went on, the nightmares would lessen in intensity, and wouldn't happen as often. But when I did have them… sometimes they were just as unpleasant as the ones I had the first few nights.

"What happened there."  
I was brought out of my reminiscing by Kyo's reluctantly curious eyes. I guess he caught what he was looking for in mine. I shrugged lazily and tried to look at him innocently—but it wasn't easy for me to fool Kyo anymore.

"I know something happened." He said with as little insistence in his voice as he could put in it. I felt a part of me pull back inside, and try to take me with it. I wanted to shrug it off, tell him nothing really happened, and I've just been prone to nightmares. But there was another part of me, a part of me that was slowly becoming more dominant over the rest that felt completely at ease with him.

He looked so curious.

I wonder… what he would say if I told him.

"I…" The word came out almost reluctantly, and Kyo seemed a bit taken aback that I was actually replying to him. I felt my insides quiver as a warning—I didn't want to complain to him, he probably had a much more terrible past then I did. What right did I have to tell him about what scared me when it would without question seem so infantile to him. I felt so pathetic just thinking about it.

But Kyo's eyes weren't criticizing me, or challenging me in any way. They were almost warm.

"I was kept with Akito." I said simply, sure that it was a satisfying answer—but Kyo's eyes were anything but satisfied. He really seemed intent on hearing me out; his eyes were almost piercing through me in an astonishingly gentle manner.

I felt obligated to continue, "I was kept with Akito… for a very long time." I said carefully, trying hard to not make it sound like a bad thing. "I was told… that it was a good thing. That it was a good thing that the Head of the Family liked me…" I tried to be careful with my words, "But I… I didn't see how it was a good thing."

Kyo seemed to be a bit confused, "What's so bad about that?"

I looked at him, trying to keep my eyes calm and my voice simple… "I didn't want to stay with Him." I bit my lip and looked down at Kyo's sheets, "I wanted… I wanted to go home." I curled his sheets closer to me, "It was always… so cold… and so dark…" the memory came back, vivid and sharp, and I could almost feel the intoxicating chill of loneliness wash over my body.

"Why didn't you just leave?"

In my sleepy state, I had easily fallen into the memory, the feeling, the hard eyes, the black walls, the cold voices and the lonely thoughts. "My mother…" Her face drifted into my mind, her beautiful but cold face, her angelic yet hard features, the bitter feeling of abandonment, "They told her that if she let me stay there with Him, she would be taken care of through her whole life. She would never have troubles, financially." I let out a sad breath. "She… used me. As a tool, a pawn in her game… but I guess it was selfish of me… asking her to take me back…"

It hadn't made a difference, though. When I tugged at her skirt, calling out to her with my silent voice… my silent voice… "He was so cold to me." I had unconsciously pulled the sheets against me desperately to try and escape the cold, "He was so cold… I've never… felt so alone…" I felt a familiar sting at the bridge of my nose, "His words… were always so cold…"

I closed my eyes when I felt the sting at the back of them, "He kept me isolated. He wouldn't let me be with anyone other then Him…"

As much as I didn't want to believe Him, the words He would say to me, the things He would do… they always cut right through me, tore apart my every thought and replaced them with His. Till there was nothing but Him inside of me, cold, dark, and alone…

"Why?"

I opened my eyes, despite how wet they felt, and looked at Kyo. I let my words slid out of my mouth like a bitter smile, "I'm the rat."

(Kyo's POV)

A lot of emotions washed through me at once… realization, hate, sadness, empathy, denial, protectiveness, and understanding. My whole world shifted with his words.

All of my life, I grew up with the illusion that the Rat was spoiled, loved, and cherished. If I was the boy I had been when I was to hear Yuki say this, I would've scoffed at him, yelled at him for being nothing but a brat, a spoiled, loved Rat. But the way he had said it, the way his voice was so quiet with sorrow … and how his eyes were glazed with sadness and unrequited desperation… I could feel no hate, find no retort; I couldn't think any harsh thoughts… all that streamed inside of me was silent comprehension.

Was that why he always kept himself alone? Isolated from everyone, psychologically or physically? He would push everyone away before he would even give them a chance… was it because that's how he felt he should be? The way he was always supposed to be? I felt anger and sorrow flood through me at the same time, a dangerous combination, a chemical imbalance that tore my heart in two directions.

Yuki's eyes were back on mine, "What about you?"

I blinked at him, "What about me?"

He took a moment to gaze at me as if battling whether or not to continue, but it looked like the former won, "You never… talk about your mother." He said silently, a question implied.

The topic was brought up so abruptly—how long had it been since I've thought of her…

I let my eyes drift along my sheets, how they draped over Yuki's slender body, and down to my bare arms, over the veins in my wrist, to the bracelet on my wrist.

"She… died." The words came out without feeling, "A long time ago. It was… an accident."

There wasn't a lot I had to say on the subject. I didn't want to remember. I didn't want to recall her voice, her face, the way she talked to me, the way her hands would brush through my hair, the way her eyes were gentle, but somehow so… distant.

"What about your father?"

I felt bitterness flood through me, and the bitter smile on my face came instantly at the thought of him, the dark figure he was, the cold, hated voice that made me want to tare off my own ears, to scratch them from my head and be rid of that voice, that hard, sharp, despised voice.

"I haven't seen him since." The bitterness was evident in my voice, seeping like sour vinegar through my throat.

"Then... who took care of you?"

I looked over to Yuki, his eyes scared me—how concerned they were, how deeply interested he seemed to be in my past. I've never seen someone so interested in me before…

I recalled the question, and through the hatred I encountered through my reminiscing, I remembered that little spark of life inside of my rotting childhood, I opened my mouth and tried to keep my voice simple and direct—"Shishou."

I saw comprehension light Yuki's eyes, and then a soft smile lined his lips in a gentle, and sadly sincere way, "He must mean a lot to you."

I felt a horridly warm feeling crawl inside my body, and I tried to push it away with everything inside of me, "He's—he's just a Martial Arts Instructor." I looked away from Yuki, trying to keep myself in check.

Yuki hadn't let it go unnoticed, though. "I bet… that he was kind to you."

I rested the side of my head against my folded arms and gazed into nothing. I remembered the graveyard, the ceremony—and how cold it seemed to be. All the tall, dark figures, and their sharp, cold eyes and despising voices… I hated it… I hated them all…

"He was the only one…" I said silently, "… That hadn't blamed me."

But through all the hate I felt, there was sadness, the desperation to prove them wrong, I didn't want them to be right, I didn't want their words… to be true…

I felt the darkness wash over me, the cold, inescapable truth… It wasn't an accident… no matter how many times I screamed that in my head, it wasn't an accident… she… she had killed herself… she ended her life…

I clenched at my sheets and buried my face in my arms, my nose stinging viciously and a harsh burning stinging at the back of my eyes as I clenched them close.

"It wasn't my fault—" I clenched my teeth together, I didn't want to cry, I didn't want to see her face, I didn't want to hear those voices, I didn't want it to be my fault…

"I didn't want her to die, I never wanted her to die, It wasn't… It wasn't my fault, I didn't want that… I didn't…" The hot tears slipped from my closed eyes and streamed painfully down my cheeks as I tried to keep them back… But they kept coming, un-relinquished, un-availed, I couldn't hold them back, I couldn't hold the voices back, the blame, the disgust, the hate…  
"I didn't… I didn't want her… to die…"

"I know."

Yuki's voice, though so gentle and soft, cut through all the others. I felt the grip I had on the sheets trembling, and my eyes slowly slide open.

"You weren't to blame."

I lifted my face from my arms, the hot streams of tears stiffening cold on my face as I looked at him. I felt despair flood through me… I shook my head, "No… no it was my fault."

Yuki disagreed with his eyes, "Don't say that."

"It was." I looked at him and felt regret course through me, here Yuki was… telling me… that it wasn't my fault when I had… when I…

Oh god…

I buried my face back inside my arms and clenched my eyes closed.  
"I… I blamed you." I forced the words out with self-hatred flooding through them like thick venom. I clenched my fists around my sheets and refused to keep this inside of me any longer…

"I blamed you for it all." I bit my lip until it stung sharp, "I blamed you for _everything."_ The bitter tears slipped passed my closed eyes once more as I felt the loathing for myself course like burning acid through my veins, "I had to… I had to blame you, I couldn't…" I clenched my teeth together, feeling the hot tears slide down my face like razors over an open wound, "I had to blame you, because if I knew… if I knew it was all because of me…" I felt my chest tighten and I clenched my teeth tight, closing my throat, keeping back the swelling sob that threatened inside of my lungs, "I directed all of my hate to you… because… if I didn't…" I bit my lip, the tears coursing down my cheek like sick weakness, "All I would have left to hate… would be myself."

I didn't give a thought about him; I hadn't even bothered to consider that he was hurting, that he wasn't perfect, that he was alone, that he was just as… just as cold and alone as I had been…

"It's alright."

I slid my wet eyes open, his voice… his voice was so gentle… like he meant it…

No, no that was wrong, that wasn't the way he was supposed to react… he was supposed to be sickened by me, I'm sick, I'm twisted, I blamed him for my mother's death, for everyone's hatred, I blamed him for who I am, I blamed him for… I blamed him for everything that I hated about myself…

I lifted my face from the protection of my arms and looked up at him. There was sadness on his face, understanding, and acceptance.

He wasn't… supposed to…

He was supposed to hate me, now more then ever.

I felt all my anger bubble inside of my veins and I felt my eyes burn, "No, it's not!" I nearly shouted. Yuki looked taken aback at my reaction, and I gripped the sheets in my fists with fury, "IT'S NOT ALRIGHT, HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?" I felt my muscles quiver and the tears stream hopelessly, numbly from my eyes, "I BLAMED YOU FOR EVERYTHING, I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT YOU, I DIDN'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU! I DIDN'T GIVE A _FUCK_ ABOUT YOU!" My voice ripped through my throat, and I had to make an effort to shut my mouth and clench my teeth. I bowed my head and tried to breathe—yelling wasn't good, yelling at Yuki was not going to get me anywhere with him. I had to calm down.

"I… I'm just like everyone else." I let go of all my denial, my false pretence, my fucken self-righteous thoughts. I hadn't seen him as anything but the rat, just like everyone else…

"No, you're not."

I refused to let his words bed themselves inside of my innards, to calm my heart, to reassure me, to help ease this heavy, sickening glob of self-hatred that was cutting through my guts, gushing blood all over my twisted, despicable self.

"You… were never like everyone else." He was calm, so gentle and reassuring—all I wanted, all I wanted to do right now was bury myself inside him, to let his words fill me until I couldn't listen anymore. But I knew that I didn't deserve that.

"You… are the cat." Yuki's voice was soft, understanding, "I wont blame you for hating me."

I clenched the sheets, and tried to stay calm—but my eyes were overflowing, my cheeks wet with all the tears, and my head buzzing from trying to stop them. I clenched my teeth together—but I couldn't hold myself back anymore

"I don't." I forced the words out… testing them.

I felt shock course through me… those words, I didn't… I didn't think they could feel so real…

"I don't hate you." I looked up at him, feeling the tears slid down my wet cheeks. The sincerity from them was so blinding, I never thought I could say that to him, after all I've done to him, all the time's I've said the opposite… all the time's I vowed to kill him, to see him bleed underneath my fist.

I looked at him, his puzzled gaze, shimmering with the promise of astonished tears. I clenched the sheets harder, I wanted to get through to him, all the times I declared how much I hated him—I needed to make him believe me…

"I don't hate you, I don't—" I bit my lip, "I… I-"

Yuki reached up and slid his hand over my mouth. I felt how spastic my heart-rate had gotten, and I tried to calm it down in the softness of his moist eyes.

"See?" He said softly, like a breath, a thought, a glance, "You're not like everyone else." He gave me a slow, gentle smile, a slight curve of his lips as his eyes shimmered with tears, "You don't know how much that means, coming from you."

His fingers trailed like a thought over my skin, the wetness of the streams left by my stubborn tears, "You… looked passed the rat in me." He said silently, "All my life… I thought that all there was to me was the Rat." His eyes shimmered once more, his tears threatening to overflow just like mine were, "All the love, hate, loneliness… it was all because I was the Rat." His hand cupped my cheek gently as he gazed up at me, "You hated me because I was the Rat… so I knew that…" His eyes hesitated… and then I watched as a slow tear slid from his powerful eyes and down his pale cheeks, "I knew that you didn't look at me the way you do now because I am the Rat." A slight smile tugged at his lips as I felt a tear roll down my cheeks and against his soft, gentle hand, "You made me see that there is more to me then that." His thumb dragged across the wet skin bellow my eye, "That apart from being the rat… I'm also… me."

His eyes were so powerful... I wanted to bury myself in his gentle words... I wanted... I wanted to be loved without hurting someone, without killing someone, I wanted... I wanted to bury myself... in his gentle words...

"And there's so much more to you..." Yuki's eyes shon through me, blinded my hate, banished my sorrow, "Then just the Cat."

_What is… this powerful feeling…_

I reached up and placed my hand against his.

_It scorches through my veins, setting my blood on fire._

I blinked away the last of my tears.

_It fills my empty insides, drags me from the dark._

I pulled his hand away from my face, and slid my fingers in between his.

_It fills me up, until I want to explode._

I lifted up my stiff, yet limp body and slid the covers down as I crawled in next to him.

_It makes me want to smile, and cry until I have nothing left._

I buried my face in his shoulder and slid my arm over his waist.

_I want to burn in it, and I want to drown in it._

He laid his head against mine and everything drifted from thought.

_It makes me want to smile, and cry…_

I slid my worn eyes closed and felt a calm flow through me.

_Until there's nothing left to feel._

**-****End****-**

**AN-** please... please please please **!REVIEW!!** I would adore to hear your thoughts!!


	44. Chapter 44

**AN-** YES YES LOOK!! I've updating two days in a row!! I think I'm picking up on this, YES! Thank you every who had reviewed, and has encouraged me onward!! here here is chapter forty four:

**Chapter Forty Four**

(Kyo's POV)

I felt at peace, falling into a warm abyss, a comfortable place, a gentle place. After all the tears that I had spilt, I had found myself to be worn out, exhausted, and drained of all my energy. It wasn't long until I had fallen into a divine sleep. This was the first time I have fallen asleep with Yuki in my arms, and I adored the way it felt, having him so close to me. There was a part in myself that hated me for showing such weakness to him, but after all he had said to me, all that I had told him, and through that… painfully beautiful glimmer in his eyes, I felt no reason to run, or hold back, or disguise myself. I felt… at such peace…

"Can I join?"

My eyes snapped open and I looked above me to see big grey eyes staring down at me.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I roared, my face burning as Haru shrugged above me—I threw myself out of my bed and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, "GET THE HELL OUTA MY ROOM!" I was across my room in a second, shoving Haru passed my door aggressively.

"You're pleasant." Haru readjusted his shirt, raising an eyebrow at me as my blood boiled dangerously with anger and embarrassment.

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU HERE?!" I roared, my voice searing through my throat as I tried to lessen the blush that was dominating my cheeks impressively. Haru leaned to his right, stretching his neck to see passed me and into my room—I glared at him, reached behind me and slammed my door shut.

Haru simply slid his hands into his pockets. "How's Yuki?"

"He's _fine!"_ I said in a clearly unfriendly voice, "Why the hell were you in my GODDAMN ROOM?"

"Stop yelling."  
I looked behind me to see Yuki slide out from behind me, my bedroom door slightly open from his entrance. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand before peeking over to the intruder.

Yuki gave him a puzzled look. "Haru? What are you doing here?"

"Tohru invited me for dinner." Haru said, and I felt myself fume at how he answered Yuki and not me.

"Haven't you had enough time with her?" I barked, "GO HOME!"

"Yuki! Kyo! How are you?"

I looked over to see Tohru enthusiastically make her way up the stairs and down the hall towards us with that cheerful smile of hers, and I forgot about Haru as she reached us.

"Are you feeling well?" Tohru asked, "You look much better!"

"Yeah, I'm not sick." I replied as she turned to Yuki.

"Oh Yuki—are those Kyo's clothes you have on?" Tohru asked in a puzzled voice.

I felt a major blush burn at my cheeks as I glanced over my shoulder to where Yuki was, blinking back at Tohru until he glanced down at his ill-fitting wardrobe.

"Oh… yes," He looked back up at Tohru, "My other clothes are dirty… I would have done the laundry, but I'm afraid that I'm not exactly gifted at it."

"Oh that's no problem! I'll do your laundry right away!" Tohru said with a smile, "Do you mind if I get it from your room?"

"Not at all." Yuki said appreciatively as Tohru bowed to him briefly and moved over to slide his door open and disappeared in his room.

"So… how did you get them dirty?" Haru brought himself into the conversation with a monotone voice. I looked over to him as he continued, "You didn't have anything to do with it, did you Kyo?"

The look in his eyes implied something that was definitely not clean and I puffed up in agitation, "THE HELL I DID! SHUT UP!" Tohru came out from Yuki's room with a worried expression, her arms carrying a basket of Yuki's dirty clothes.

"What's all the yelling about!?" Shigure called from downstairs.

"Kyo's being a bit defensive." Haru called back, "I think I have uncovered a mystery."

"STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!" I was completely agitated, had the house always been this noisy? "Go help Tohru with the damn laundry!"

Tohru froze from the top step and looked over to us, "Oh no, no, I don't need any help!"

Haru walked over to her and lifted the basket from her arms, "I insist that you allow me to offer my services."

"Oh-oh no, you've already done so much for me—" Tohru panicked as Haru wandered down the stairs.

He looked over at her; gazing up from the lower step with insisting eyes and a charming grin spread across his face, "Think of it as pay back for allowing me to stay for dinner."

"Jesus, just LEAVE!" I said in agitation, my hands in tight fists and my muscle tense with sheer frustration. The hell did he have to come in my room for, the damn pervert!!

I felt a hand at my head before I was shoved forwards, and I caught myself before tumbling down the stairs. I turned around and glared at Yuki who stifled a yawn.

"You're always so noisy." He brought his hand down from his face and crossed his arms over his chest, my shirt bagging over his bare forearms.

The shoulder had habitually slid off his, exposing his beautiful, milky skin. I felt possessiveness rage through me in a familiar way that my anger did—I didn't want anyone to see him look so beautiful, bedridden, my clothes loose on his slender figure.

I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks, and I restrained a retort as I slipped passed him, into my room, and grabbed a hoody from the floor.

I returned to him, shoving the hoody into his arms, "Put that on." I said in a near grumble. He complied without a remark, sliding his arms through the sleeves before rolling them up to his elbows and fitting the two ends of the zipper together before sliding it up. He looked back up at me, and I felt another blush course through my veins and I turned from him, strutting down the stairs.

A part of me wanted to shrivel up and hide after what I had said to him… but even more, a different part of me wanted to grab him and pull him against me—how could someone like him exist? How could someone like him exist—and want to be with me the way he is?

I was getting in over my head; becoming so close to him. I had shown him my guilt, my hate, how selfish I am, my warped mind…  
But above all people, it was him that had forgiven me with his eyes, had held me with his words, had calmed me with his gentle smile… When I couldn't get passed my selfishness, my self-hatred, my sick lust for guilt; there he was showing me that it wasn't all that I was. That there was more to me then that. I was more then… the Cat.

"Kyo?"

I snapped out of it, jerking my head towards the voice and saw Shigure leaning against counter in front of me.

"What?" I snapped expectantly. These guys were everywhere.

"You look kinda out of it…" Shigure leaned forward and examined me with his eyes, "Did Yuki finally knock something loose up there?"

I felt my hair stick straight up on it's roots, "He didn't knock anything loose, the hell's wrong with you?" I pushed him out of the way and headed for the fridge where I grabbed a hold of the handle and yanked the door open.

"Did you have a good weekend alone with Yuki?" Shigure asked with a curious tone.

I grabbed the milk and shut the door, "It was fine." I said in a final tone, trying to keep my agitation at a low.

"Did you two deepen your relationship?" Shigure leaned on the counter I was in front of. Glaring at him, I reached up and open the cabinet door, bonking him on the head viciously for an answer before I reached inside of it and pulled out a glass, "Shudda hell up, stop being perverted." I nearly slammed my glass onto the counter as I opened the carton of milk, "Nothing happened."

"Oh… but, I think something did happen."

I curled my hands into fist and dug them into the desk, trying to keep my temper down. I hadn't noticed how quiet and peaceful it had been here alone with Yuki, and definitely wouldn't take it for granted ever again.

I shot a death glare at him, "The hell are you talking about?"

"You had him in your bed!" Shigure exclaimed shamelessly, "You naughty kitty!"

I slammed my fist down hard on his head, feeling the impact on his hard skull shake through my hand as he was knocked to the floor, whimpering and holding his head.

"WHY ARE YOU SUCH A DAMN PERVERT?" I yelled, my agitation reaching its height, "YOU GUYS COME BACK AND MAKE SO MUCH DAMN NOISE, WHATS THE DAMN DEAL?"

"You're not being too quiet either."

I turned around and saw Haru gazing at one of the walls, Tohru coming out from behind him and when she caught sight of Shigure she put a hand to her mouth—"Oh! Shigure, are you alright?"

"Tohru!" Shigure reached his arms out to her, "Hold me! I have been wounded!"

"Oh no, Shigure!" Tohru ran over to him, but I was closer and threw a punch at him, knocking him flat on his back—

"YOU'RE SUCH A DAMN PERVERT!"

"Tohru, you must not fall for his evil schemes." Haru joined in, "I am beginning to feel quite unsure about you living here with such shameless brutes."

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING A SHAMELESS BRUT, YA DAMN COW?" I held my fist in a threatening manner.

"You're not exactly proving him wrong, Kyo."

I looked over to Yuki who entered the already crowded kitchen, brushing a hand through his hair that was somehow smooth now… he actually did look quite suitable, for sporting my over-sized hoody. His eyes weren't hazed over, and his voice wasn't drowsy or slurred—he somehow made my clothes seem proper.

I wrinkled my nose at him—how they hell could he still look so elegant in my clothing? That was just ridiculous.

"So you're staying for dinner, Haru?" Yuki said as he stepped over Shigure who was lying on the floor looking quite putout.

"Yes, I can help cook." He offered as Tohru looked like she was battling whether or not to approach Shigure with me so close to him.

"Hey, you." I directed at Tohru who looked up at me with panicking eyes, "You better make a lot, I haven't eaten anything proper for days, and he eats like a damn cow." I shot an accusing look at Haru.

"I am what I am." Haru mused.

"I'll start right away!" Tohru said with that determined look planted firm on her face, "I will make an acceptable dinner!" She shot her fist in the air.

"Don't over do it, or anything." I said uncertainly—there was no telling what would happen when she got like that… Yuki placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked over to him as electricity shot up my arm from his touch. He shifted me over to the side a bit and grabbed the milk before pouring it into the glass I had gotten out.

"You weren't sick the whole weekend, were you, Kyo?" Tohru asked as I looked back over to her as she bent down by one of the counters to grab a few cooking pots.

I shrugged, "Nah, I wouldn't let some damn cold keep me in bed." I said, lifting my chin and looking away, indifferent to the whole matter.

"No, I had to keep you in it myself." Yuki murmured as he tipped the glass to his lips. I felt a huge blush burn at my cheeks, but no one seemed to have heard him, so I immediately turned defensive.

"The hell you did," I snapped back at him as he took the glass from his lips with a look of distaste on his face. "And that's mine, get your own damn drink." I took the cup from his hands, which he let go without much reluctance at all.

"I'll need to use the kitchen for a while…" Tohru said with a polite hint in her voice, "Yuki, you're clothes should be done in an hour or so."

"Thank you, Miss Honda." Yuki said appreciatively.

"I'll help you." I offered, and when Tohru was about to put up a fuss I continued, "It'll take longer if you do it by yourself."

Haru ended up helping as well, and Yuki dragged Shigure out of the room. A conversation picked up between Haru and Tohru as I kept to myself busy, drifting into thought and memory about this morning.  
How could Yuki have taken my faults so lightly? I had blamed him for so much, and yet he had still had that calm, forgiving look in his endless eyes?

"Are you finished, Kyo?" Tohru brought me out of my streaming thoughts and I nodded mutely, Haru's eyes analyzing my state.

"Good, so then we're done!" Tohru clapped her hands together in satisfaction. "Let's set the table!" Tohru was immediately pulling out utensils while Haru picked up a few plates of the food and wandered passed me and into the Dining room.

"May I help?" Yuki entered the scene looking in a more pleasant mood as Tohru nodded vigorously with an appreciative smile. All three of us went back and forth, setting the table with plates of food that had a delicious aroma filling the atmosphere. Shigure slunk into the room while we prepared the table, his eyes greedy with hunger and impatience. When we finally had everything in place, we all took our seats around the table. Yuki stayed across from me with Tohru and Shigure sat at the end opposite of Haru.

"Miss Honda how was the Hotsprings?" Yuki asked as we all filled our plates and bowls—and in that one simple sentence, a conversation was fuelled throughout the whole meal. Tohru gushed over every detail that I would have overlooked without much thought, and Haru joined in every so often with his monotone voice—but Shigure was definitely one of the dominant noises in the house today, his sceptical and mysterious voice changing dramatic tones every few words.

Yuki stepped in every once in a while, but I found that both of us kept a bit silent, trying to adjust back into the atmosphere that the others ignited inside the house. I was a bit nervous that he might be contemplating what I had said this morning—and to be honest, I was thinking about what he had said, what he had revealed to me.

His childhood wasn't pleasant, I could see the fear in his eyes when he had told me about it. Even though, to any other person, the words he used would not have seemed so significant… I knew that they were personal, and hard for him to confess to. I was proud of him… I knew he didn't open up like that every day, and the fact that it was me he had opened up to… I felt something swell inside of me at that thought.

I was glad… that he could talk to me.

And in a way, a sick and selfish way… I was happy that I could talk to him.

When the meal was finished with (surprisingly) a few leftovers, everyone except for Shigure helped Tohru clean the dishes from the table and in the sink.

Haru and I put the leftovers into containers, putting them into the refrigerator, perhaps for Lunch since we had our exams tomorrow.

When the sink was drained of its filthy water, Tohru escaped to the laundry room and Haru held a conversation with Yuki as I leisurely dried off my hands.

"So you're weekend was good?" Yuki asked as he leaned against the counter, Haru standing in front of him with his hands in his pockets.

"Very exciting." His voice contradicted his words. "There were many secrets revealed those passed nights…"

I tilted my head at him in bewilderment when Tohru popped up from behind him- "Yuki! I have your clothes, they're all clean!"

"Oh, thank you, Miss Honda." Yuki held the basket in his arms gratefully, "I appreciate it very much."

"Oh, please, don't mention it!" Tohru flapped her hand in the air with a smile on her face.

Yuki turned to Haru, "So, how will you be getting home?"

"I was thinking I would stay here."  
The air seemed to droop down on us-- "THE HELL YOU ARE!" I roared, feeling the agitation spark inside of me I stormed over to him and grabbed a fistful of his shirt as he let out a sigh.

"O-oh it would be fine, really, Kyo!" Tohru said nervously as I dragged him out of the kitchen.

"GO HOME!" I opened the door viciously and tossed him out.

"Thank you for the lovely time!" Tohru called over my shoulder before I slammed the door on his face.

I turned onto Tohru, "How the HELL can you stand him!?" I interrogated as she gave me an apologetic smile.

"Kyo, please keep it down, it's getting late." Shigure said as I stormed back into the room, and he stroked his chin, "Actually, it's very late, and you three have exams tomorrow, don't you?"

"We do." Yuki said, still holding his clothes. He turned to Shigure who was leaning against the counter, "Please don't make a lot of noise, I'm going to bed."

I glanced over at him as he stole a look at me—and then Yuki turned and made his way upstairs. I felt all my agitation wash from me… I would bet my life that last night was the final time he would sleep in my room with me, what with everyone back in the house.

"Kyo, Tohru, you two should be getting to sleep as well." Shigure said in an authorized voice.

"Shut up." I said, but there was no agitation in my voice. I walked passed both of them and went up the stairs. I walked through the hall, all ease inside of me from the morning escaping effectively. I grabbed onto my door and opened it, entering my room and closing myself in. Without a thought, word or image, I made my across my room and to my bed, kicking aside the towel I had used after my shower this morning.

Tugging the sheets down, I crawled underneath them and attempted to fall asleep…

What did it matter if Yuki was beside me or not, why should that effect how I sleep. It wasn't like I was conscious anyways.

I rolled over onto my side and stared into nothing, trying not to think, and trying not to let my mind get carried away. It had only been two nights that he's stayed in my room with me… But somehow, my room—it didn't feel like my room, it felt strange, empty, and almost… lonely.

I grumbled at myself and rolled over on my other side, closing my eyes in my attempt to sleep and to shove Yuki out of my mind.

The night was slow, and the time was dragging.

The digital red numbers on my clock were mocking me, blurring into brain-sizzling lights as they changed numerous times, towing me further into the seemingly endless night. I cursed at myself, agitated at my lack of sleep. A few years back, before I came into this house, I would go through nights without sleep, without even feeling tired. I would stay up training, pushing myself until I fell into unconsciousness reluctantly. This was different. I wanted to sleep, I wanted to just get to bed, but no matter how much I yelled at myself in my head, my eyes couldn't stay closed for more then a few dragging minutes.

No matter how many times I shut my eyes and willed myself to fall into unconsciousness, my thoughts would spin and I would become more tired… and yet, more awake.

I didn't know what time it was when I had finally drifted into oblivion… but it was not any time soon, and was not smooth, but like a tree being hacked down from it's magnificent height.

I would just have to get used to sleeping without him.

But it seemed like that would take a while on it's own.

**AN-** And the weekend is over. -whew- (Thank you for not swearing at me for my three-days of no updating... even though i would have deserved it) I got a fabulous suggestion from one of your fabulous readers--and I will be doing better now until my computer comes back to me, thank you!  
Please **!Review! **that'd be wonderous!


	45. Chapter 45

**AN-** I did it! and with a time crunch -whew-

**Chapter Forty-Five**

(Yuki's POV)

It was not much sooner that I had finally fallen asleep that the sun was rudely shining through my closed eyes, waking me up insistently. I groaned and rolled over on my stomach… I don't think I've ever had such an awful sleep. I was tossing all night, my lip felt raw from chewing on it—contemplating the whole night whether or not to sneak into Kyo's room. I didn't think having the other's back would be much of a difference, but it was noisier, and somehow seemed overly crowded.

My mind had been reeling all night, I couldn't stop remembering what Kyo had said, how he had said it, and…

That was the first time… I have ever seen him cry.

He looked so beautiful, in a heart-wrenching way, a way that had my insides curling miraculously and my breath catching inside my ribcage. I have never known his eyes to be dull, they always gushed of emotion—whether it was anger, embarrassment, hate, or honesty… but the way his eyes shone, glimmering with over-flowing tears, it had shot through my skin, cracked open my bones, and seeped deep within my innards, imbedding themselves inside of me.

I wanted to stop him from crying, hold him so close to me that he becomes apart of me, a vital organ—and at the same time, I wanted to be witness to him as long as I could, I wanted to watch his tears, to let them tare me apart as they slid down his cheeks. His eyes—were overflowing, so powerful, so paralysing…

He really was… amazing.

But it was thoughts like that, reminiscing like that, which had held me from a good night's sleep. I didn't get a decent amount of slumber before I would awaken again in discomfort, in coldness… without the heat of his body beside me, I felt frozen, so cold that I almost seemed inhuman to myself.

My mood, however, was definitely inhuman. I felt like absolute trash, my eyes were sore and my mind was buzzing with more aching insistence then it normally did in the mornings. It was only two days that I had spent sleeping next to Kyo, but I felt horribly accustomed to it, the warmth, the comfort, the calming lullaby of his breathing, the thought of being with him, of not sleeping alone…

I groaned and lifted myself up into a sitting position with much difficulty. My muscles were tense and my joints stiff from all of my tossing and turning. My eyes felt swollen in their taut sockets, and my chest was tight from the lack of relaxation. I felt like a drug addict, in serious withdrawal.

I untangled the sheets from my limbs, feeling agitation thump throw my veins as I stumbled out of my bed. I put a hand to my head, as if holding it would keep my mind from buzzing noisily and spinning irreverently. I felt sick to my stomach, and decided that I should get something inside of it before I gag up chunks of my dinner.

I slumped over to my closet, where I pulled it open to reveal the basket of clean clothes—which I attacked grumpily, tossing the top clothes on the pile onto my floor in a lazy search for my school uniform. It turned out to be, conveniently, at the bottom of the pile, and I had to step around every piece of garment that I had thrown thoughtlessly around my floor. I would have to clean up my room sometimes… but I would save that for after the Exams are through.

I dropped my uniform onto my bed before grabbing the hem of my shirt and pulling it up and off my chest, stumbling back a step before I finally got it over my head. I grumbled at my shirt as I tossed it on the floor, reaching for my uniform shirt. I pulled the sleeves onto my arms, adjusting it on my shoulders before doing up the buttons from the bottom up. I had to re-do a few after slipping the button through the wrong hole—but it wasn't too long before I finally had my shirt done up properly, and I was slipping out of my pants before pulling on my uniform ones.

I smoothed my collar down as I walked over to my desk, picking up my tie that I had carelessly tossed on it and slipping it underneath my collar. My first few attempts at doing up my tie were infantile, and did not help lift my mood into a higher sky. I was more agitated then I had been in a while, not use to having such a miserable sleep, and the fact that I was to write my exams today was not calming me down.

I brushed a hand through my hair, smoothing it back down to an acceptable appearance as I hauled up my backpack from the floor, placing it on my desk and slipping my textbooks inside. I had not gotten any studying down all week—Kyo had made sure of that.

I dropped my backpack in my doorway before leaving my room and wandering down the hall, trying to clear the fog that was blurring my vision. I slipped inside of the bathroom, not even bothering to close the door after me, and I turned on the tap. I took my toothpaste and squeezed its contents onto my toothbrush before scrubbing my teeth clean mechanically. I felt completely drained, and the fact that it wasn't going to get any better made me even more miserable. It was all Kyo's fault, getting me used to sleeping with him.

I spat into the sink, clearing my mouth if it's sharp mint taste that woke up my taste buds, and watched it drain down the sink from the running water. I cupped my hands underneath the faucet and splashed my face with the cold water, feeling myself become more awake as I reached for a towel and dried myself off.

The cold water, however, did not prevail to shock me out of my miserable mood. I slid out of the bathroom, down the hall, and grabbed my backpack before slinging it over my shoulder and closing my bedroom door. I wandered down the stairs, my mind grumbling at me the whole way over minuscule things.

When I got into the kitchen, I barely registered Kyo leaning against the counter with his glass of milk; I was too intent to get a glass of water to fill my empty stomach. I dropped my bag against the kitchen wall and approached the glass cabinet beside Kyo. I tugged it open, and reached up, pulling out a glass for myself.

"You don't look like shit."

The sarcasm was evident in his voice and I felt my innards cringe in annoyance. I was not in the mood for his.

I glared over to him before slamming the cabinet door closed, "You don't exactly look like a Greek statue yourself." I nudged him over and turned on the tap before running the water over my glass, filling it halfway before turning it off and bringing the cup to my lips, "I didn't get a lot of sleep, what's your excuse?"

"Couldn't sleep either."

I looked over to him as he moodily took a sip of his milk, and I tipped the glass of water to my lips, filling my mouth with its fresh taste before swallowing, "Can't copy me."

I felt Kyo's glare, "Why the hell would I copy you?" He snapped, clearly not in a much better mood then what I was in.

I set down my glass, and I felt my miserable mood find amusement in his agitation—at least he hadn't gotten any more sleep then I had, by the looks of it.

But either way, I couldn't stop myself from provoking him, "Being stupid gets boring? I don't know, you tell me."

I felt the air become static from Kyo's direction, "You wanna say that again?" Kyo snapped viciously.

"Stop shouting, you're giving me a head ache." I said simply.

Kyo's hair went static, "Don't tell me what the hell to do!" He barked, and my hand was automatically over his mouth with a sharp movement.

"Honestly, you're _infuriating_." Were my morning's usually like this before?

Kyo hit my hand away and shoved his over my mouth, "And you _piss me off!"_

I slapped his hand away from my face, and shoved my hand back over his mouth in attempt to get him to shut up—but Kyo only hit my hand away again, shoving it over my mouth as I smacked it away again to cover his—

"Stop it, you're being immature!" I said as he hit my hand away again.

"Oh, _I'm_ the one being immature?!" Kyo barked—I suppose that we were too used to relieving our frustrations out on each other to get along in the moods we were in.

"Yes, you _are!"_

"No, I'm not!"

I eyed him, and he glared back at me, our clouds of misery sending electric sparks between each other from above our heads.

"Quit starting things you can't finish." I accused harshly.

"You saying I can't finish this, Rat?" Kyo grabbed an aggressive fistful of my uniform shirt, and my lack of patience finally reached its limits and I grabbed a fistful of his orange hair in return and I yanked his head back, "Is it finally getting through to you, or do I have to kick your ass again?"

Kyo let out a loud noise of infuriation and tackled me onto the floor, hands grabbing violently at my wrists but I brought up my knee in a sharp, swift move and hit him in the gut, pushing him off of me and climbing on top of him to pin his wrists to the floor instead. It didn't take any effort despite Kyo's ruthless resistance to hold him down.

I couldn't remember the last time we've had a morning brawl like this, but it definitely was not unfamiliar.

I glared down at him as steamed rose from his hair in agitation, "You lose, Baka Neko." I said in a sharp annoyed voice.

Kyo pulled against my restrained grip in a pointless effort, and his eyes glared daggers at me, "You're a real wise-ass ya know that!?" He barked, his fuming attitude irritating me as he tugged ruthlessly at my grasp.

"You two, please keep your weird orgies out of the kitchen, it's not sanitary." I looked up to see that Shigure had entered the room.

"You stay outta this!" Kyo snapped as I felt him pull out of my grip and shove me off of him, and I complied with little resistance, straightening up easily as he shifted to his feet. Shigure walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup, "Tohru!" He called as he held his glass in his hands, "Those two are fighting again!"

I tugged at the hem of my shirt, straightening it out as I let out an agitated huff while Kyo shook in fury—"What does she look like, our damn mother?!" Kyo barked in a loud voice as Shigure took a calm sip of his coffee.

Tohru loyally entered the scene upon being called, trotting down the stairs and welcoming us with a smile, "Good morning!" her smile, however, was slightly extinguished by my put-out state and Kyo's body trembling with agitation.

"Is… everything all right?" She asked uncertainly.

"Everything's _fine."_ Kyo's voice contradicted his words as he shoved his fists on his hips and glared at Shigure. I smoothed a hand through my hair, willing myself to calm down my agitation now that Tohru was present.

I turned to Tohru with as pleasant a smile as I could muster, "Good morning, Miss Honda, how are you?" My voice sounded exhausted and exasperated.

Tohru's smile was basking on her face once more, "I'm wonderful! All ready for exams!" She shot a fist in the air, "I've studied hard and will do my best!"

"Yeah, yeah, we know." Kyo scoffed in his put-out mood.

"I'll make some breakfast! You two must be hungry!" Tohru said pleasantly, already heading for the stove when Shigure slid his arm across the counter and over the heater to stop her.

"Nah-uh." Shigure balanced his cup of coffee in his other hand, "You don't have time… you all had a late start today."

Tohru glanced up at the clock on the wall and my eyes followed hers—as little sleep as I had gotten, we had overslept, but that didn't dim Tohru's objective.

"That's alright!" She changed her course and went for the fridge, "We have leftovers I can just heat up!" She tugged open the door and started to hum an oddly familiar tune as she pulled out the containers of food from our dinner last night.

"Amazing, isn't it." Shigure commented as she closed the refrigerator. He let out a dramatic sigh and leaned towards Tohru, "Those two are really grumpy… will you be alright walking with them?"

Kyo let his barking voice fill the room, "Dammit, stop talking like we're not here!"

Tohru put the food inside of the microwave and turned it on, a humming noise subtly filling the room, "Well, it was an early morning!" She said, her cheerful mood going undimmed by the grey clouds hovering above Kyo and I from our lack of sleep and good mood.

"Or a really late night." Shigure added as he peeked suspiciously over to us.

"THE HELL'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Kyo grabbed an aggressive fistful of Shigure's robe, who caught his coffee before it crashed to the floor by the unexpected attack.

"You're breakfast is ready!" Tohru's cheerful glow contrasted immensely with Kyo's grumpy composure—or lack of.

Tohru handed me a bowl and I accepted it, "Thank you, Honda-san," I said absently, still keeping myself under a presentable domineer as Kyo took his food from Tohru and shoved his mouth full.

"Such growing boys." Shigure mused as I shot an exasperated glare over to him.

"You wanna say that again?" Kyo said in a clearly dangerous tone before shoving more food into his mouth.

Shigure flapped his hand, "Come now, don't take your sexual frustration out on me." He set down his coffee and put one hand on his hip and the other knowingly in the air, "You must work it out _together!"_

"Shigure," I said in a dangerous implying tone, while Kyo slammed his dishes into the sink—

"Screw this!" He stormed across the kitchen, "I'm getting' dressed!" his footsteps weren't quit as he marched up the stairs and into his room. I sighed and walked over to the sink, now fully awake.

"Lover's quarrel last night?" Shigure asked curiously as I had to put effort into keeping myself from smashing my dish into his head.

"No." I said obviously, "Nothing happened last night." I rinsed my dishes and turned off the tap, "I just didn't get a lot of sleep, and apparently neither did he."

There was a silent pause where I dried off my hands on a clean towel by the sink.

"Ah, well, that makes sense." Shigure said in an odd tone before he turned from me and left the kitchen himself.

"I'll grab my books!" Tohru said suddenly before escaping from the kitchen and tumbling up the stairs. I rested my back against the counter and crossed my arms leisurely across my chest. It wasn't really that I was infuriated with Kyo—I've just been so used to taking out my frustrations on him that it just happened naturally. Either way, I didn't think he really did mind, seeing as he was doing the same thing.

I let out a sigh, trying to lose all of my negative energy, and I walked over to the kitchen wall where I had left my backpack. I lifted it up and slung it over my shoulder, feeling a little hopeless about my exams over my current mood. I didn't feel like concentrating was going to be my best trait for the next 24 hours.

"Hurry _up_!" I heard Kyo call at Tohru as he came back downstairs in his school uniform. I let out a sigh, and made to leave the kitchen—but suddenly Kyo's hand was braced against the wall in front of me, his arm keeping me from going any further. I turned to him and gave him a dangerous glare, I didn't want to fight with him anymore, I was exhausted as it already was—but it didn't seem like Kyo was looking for a fight.

"Look-" he started in an agitated voice. I leaned my back against the wall, crossed my arms across my chest, and gave him an expected look. Kyo looked reluctantly back at me before continuing in a strained voice, "If you…" I could almost feel the hand he had beside me curl into a fist as he averted his eyes, "If you sleep better in my room…" His eyes tightened as he shoved a fist onto his hip, "Then you can, I don't care." He turned his head away from me, glaring as he set his jaw.

That caught me completely off guard.

Kyo really was starting to get straightforward with me… and I could feel my cheeks burn as I blinked hopelessly at him in amazement. Kyo's eyes glanced back at me, tight with agitation and something suspiciously like bashfulness.

He immediately grew defensive at what he saw from looking at me, "Just cuz you're a real grouch when you don't get sleep, that's all!"

I continued to look at him as his cheeks began to tint a light pink.

"Not cuz—" Kyo looked away again, fuming, as his cheeks grew gradually pinker, until he shoved back from me, "Ugh, whatever!" He stormed passed me and into the entrance hall—and at that same moment, I heard Tohru come down the stairs.

"Are you alright, Yuki?" She asked with a concerned smile, and I shook out of my state mentally, and nodded.

"Yes, let's go, shall we?" I said absently as Kyo ripped the door open and left with Tohru and I in his wake. The warm morning air greeted me pleasantly, and since I had been inside all of yesterday, the bright sun that bathed the scenery nearly blinded me.

Miraculously, I had suddenly slid into a much better mood.

**AN-** Thank you for reading!! please **!REVIEW!**


	46. Chapter 46

**AN-** I worked all day on this... and am quite pleased with the outcome. I got AMAZING reviews throughout my story, and I want to say thank you SO MUCH i am flattered beyond humanity. I wasn't overly pleased with the last chapter... but I wanted to show that Yuki and Kyo still argue, and lets be realistic, if their both grumpy... it isn't going to be a very fluffy moment. Anywhat--so it was basically build up to this chapter!  
So I present it to you in it's TEN PAGE GLORY!!  
yes yes go on read it!!

**Chapter Forty Six**

(Kyo's POV)

I tilted my head to the side and glared down at my paper. My mind was reeling, trying to figure out just what the hell I was supposed to figure out. I let out a frustrated breath and ran a hand feverishly through my hair.

I was in exams, and not doing as well as I would have hoped.

I didn't know how well I would do, seeing as I barely studied all week or slept last night—but I was definitely going to have to concentrate if I wanted to pass.

My mind, though, didn't seem to get how important this exam was—it kept drifting into thought about a certain silver-haired boy who was sitting a desk beside me. I was completely agitated in the morning, and seeing as Yuki had been as well it was not a surprise that we ended up fighting. I wouldn't have been so irritated with him if I had gotten a better sleep—but the fact that I didn't get sleep because of him only annoyed me even more.

I glanced over to him at the thought, and saw him with his arms crossed over his desk, his face hidden in them. I knew right away that he was sleeping.

I shifted in my seat and kicked his chair, making him jolt upright, looking over to see who had awoken him from his beauty rest. I raised an eyebrow at him and he looked around to see if anyone else had noticed his dazed state. He ran a hand through his hair before glancing back at me and turning to his exam once more.

I slouched in my chair, leaning my head back and staring at the ceiling. I wasn't even halfway through the damn exam, and I only had an hour left. This day was really starting to suck.

(Yuki's POV)

"Don't worry, you've been studying for days, you'll be just fine," Arisa said reassuringly as she fondly mused Tohru's hair who had verbally expressed how concerned she was.

"Yes. I feel very positive waves." Hanajima said in a very thoughtful voice as she whisked passed us, heading elaborately to the door before taking her exit.

"Of course, you'll have passed with flying colours, right, Prince?" Arisa said as she leaned against a desk, giving me an expectant look.

I felt exhaustion swell through my veins, "Actually, I didn't study very much for it." I said simply, trying to brush it off.

"You didn't study?" Arisa leaned forward in disbelief as Tohru blinked at me.

"Oh no, Yuki!" Tohru held her hands to her face, "Is it because you were too busy taking care of Kyo?"

"Taking care—what?" Arisa looked over to Tohru with a sceptical look.

"Oh—Kyo got sick over the weekend, and Yuki stayed with him while I went to the hotsprings…" Tohru explained, looking back at me, "I'm sorry! If I had stayed, I could have helped and you would've had a chance to study!"

"No, Miss Honda, please don't worry about it." I said reassuringly, trying to calm her down, "I'm sure I did alright." I didn't regret the weekend, actually if I had a chance to go back and change things just so I could study, I would pass it up without a thought.

"Hey Orangey!" Arisa called across the room to Kyo who was in a circle of people.

"What?" he barked back at her, his eyes skimming across our small group as he leaned away from the people around him.

"You kept the Prince from studying!" Arisa shoved a hand on her hip, "if he fails, it's your fault!"

Kyo opened his mouth in disbelief, "THE HELL?" He barked, "Is not! He's the one who kept _me_ from studying!"

"Please, Uo-chan, if you're going to start something, leave me out of it." I placed a hand exhaustedly to the side of my head.

"OooOOOH!" I heard the people around Kyo whistle, "How'd you keep the prince from studying, Kyon-Kyon?" They said in intrigued disbelief and implied suspicion.

"I didn't! And stop calling me Kyon-Kyon!" Kyo barked, his hair frizzing up in annoyance.

With the exams finished, we were having our end-of-school celebration, which consisted of a cleared classroom full of students and tables of food. It looked like Kakeru and Kimi had ran out of interest in the end-of-year celebration and decided to go with the simplest, and most boring thing they could think of. They succeeded impressively. I don't think I've ever regretted wasting as much time doing nothing as I did now.

As if sensing my thoughts as a call, the door slid open dramatically.

"Yun-Yun!'

I sighed and rested a hand leisurely on my hip as Kakeru strutted over to me, hands in his pockets and a smile gracing his face.

"How were exams, Prince Yun-Yun?" He slung an arm over my shoulders.

"They were thrilling, thank you." I said sarcastically as I slid out from underneath his arm in a swift movement, too practiced at it for my liking.

"Hey, how'd your boyfriend do?"

I felt my insides clench in shock and my eyes popped open as I stared at him, "W-what?"

He was glancing around and then peeked back over to me, "Y'know, the orange top."

"HAHA!"

I looked over to see Arisa laughing, "You told _him?"_ Arisa clenched her stomach and leaned over the desk for support, "Man, you have no hope of keeping it a secret now!"

"It's the last day of school," I said, trying to reassure myself, "How much damage could he have done?"

"Hey, there he is!" Kakeru said triumphantly, waving over to Kyo, "HEY, ORANGE TOP!"

Kyo looked in annoyance back over to my direction, irritated at all the interruptions coming from across the classroom.

"Did you help you're boyfriend study?" Kakeru said in an exaggeratingly loud voice and I felt myself go rigid in surprise—I couldn't believe he just yelled that across the classroo-

"You have a _boyfriend_?" One of the girls gushed in disbelief in front of Kyo, and he grimaced at her before slipping back a bit.

"Oh, have you been keeping it a _secret_ Yun-Yun?" Kakeru teased as he slapped me on the back and I stumbled forward a step before catching my balance.

I was tired, exhausted, and _slightly_ agitated by his elaborate behaviour, but too drained to conjure my quick reflexes as I glanced up at Kyo.

"What? What?" The people around Kyo said in pressuring and curious voices, "Who is it? Who's you're boyfriend?"

At least Kyo wasn't really one for spilling out his life story, they wouldn't be getting anything out of him or me—

"Yun-Yun of course!"

I stared over at Kakeru who had cheerfully stated it with his hands on his hips and a big smile on his face.

The whole atmosphere suddenly collapsed on top of me as I gawked at him—

"WHAT? YOU AND THE PRINCE?" The girls cried as the group of astonished students suddenly swarmed Kyo, and I tried to get the feeling back in my body to react, but it wasn't coming too easily.

"Wait till the Yuki Fan Club hears about this, huh?" Kakeru slapped me on the back again with a laugh as I braced myself against the desk, trying to breathe—this day was really not going well… and I had a feeling Kyo's day was not going to get any better if we didn't leave now.

But all thoughts of how bad Kyo's day was going to be evaporated from my mind as the swarm of people started crowding over to me and I backed up until my back hit the wall, Kakeru standing in front of me with an booming laugh as I tried to find an escape.

"Why didn't you tell us, Prince Yuki?"

"Yes! It's so adorable, Yuki-San!"

"I thought you two hated each other?"

"No, No!" Kakeru waved his hand, "They have always loved each other! They just pretended, when deep down inside, they were dying to hold the other in their embrace!" Kakeru elaborated, "I, myself, have witnessed their passionate love!"

"You have not!" I grabbed a fistful of Kakeru's uniform and pulled him back, "Don't tell them lies!"

Kakeru laughed full-heartedly, flapping his hand about. I really didn't believe that anyone could be as annoying and theatrical as my brother, but this guy was really pushing that to the test.

The girls were swarming closer, their voices a mixed buzz of astonished questions and shocked exclamations—I was starting to panic, I was cornered with only Kakeru between me and the gushing females, if this kept up I would be transforming without a chance—

"EVERYONE, _MOVE_!"

I braced myself against the wall as suddenly the crowd dissolved to look back at the voice of authority— and didn't know if I would have preferred to just transform.

"AWAY FROM THE PRINCE, NOW, MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IT!" The four girls went into symmetrical positions, backing people away from me until they were the only ones near my frazzled self, my own personal bodyguards.

"Ooh, look, Yun-Yun! Isn't this _exciting!"_ Kakeru gushed as he leaned on the wall next to me.

"No, it isn't!" I snapped at him, "What is wrong with you?"

"You have to be honest with your fans, Yun-Yun." Kakeru said in a serious voice, his face firm, "Or else they will never trust or respect you."

"Stop talking like that." I said in exasperation, "You are unbelievable." I crossed my arms and looked away from him.

"Aw… Yun-Yun, don't be mad." Kakeru whined as I refused to look at him, surrendered by noise and flaring arms.

"What's wrong, Yun-Yun?" He said in a childish voice as I felt his hand on my shoulder.

I shook him off ruthlessly and glared back at him, "Don't touch me, I'm not happy with you."

"GET BACK!"

I looked over to see Kyo glaring at one of my bodyguards before he reached forward and grabbed onto her arm, pulling her violently away from me, making her stumble across the room.

"C'mon," Kyo reached out again and grabbed onto my wrist, pulling me away from Kakeru and the protesting girls as he trudged me out of the room quickly, slamming the door behind us.

The hallway was dead silent in contrast to the classroom and I looked at Kyo as he gazed back at me…

"It's you're fault I hope you know." Kyo looked away indifferently as he tossed my wrist from his grip, walking away from me.

I felt relief flood through me now that I was away from all the girls and Kakeru (especially). I hesitated as I watched Kyo walk down the hall, sliding one hand into his pocket… I forced myself forward and after him.

When I fell into step with Kyo I snuck a glance at him, "Thanks."

"Yeah, well…" Kyo glared straight ahead, "You wouldn't have lasted in that for another second."

I slid a hand onto my forehead, "Tell me about it."

"About time, though."

I peeked over to him, as he continued, "I wondered when you were gonna get the load."

I smirked as I caught what he was talking about—it had been a long time coming to me, since everyone else had attacked Kyo instead of me on hearing about our developing relationship.

"It's not over yet," I said with a sigh, "I don't think the girls have completely had it out with you."

"That's why we're getting out of here," Kyo said, sneaking a glance behind us, "I locked the door, but I think they'll bust it down in another minute."

"I'd make that ten seconds." I said as we turned a corner, "It was shocking news."

"It's not that shocking." Kyo scoffed, looking away, "Dammit, how much of a deal can they make?"

"Yo."

I looked ahead again and saw Haru leaning against the wall a few paces ahead of us.

"Hello, Haru." I said absently, pondering what kind of catastrophe could emerge in any second.

He pushed himself away from the wall and completed the space between us in two steps, "This guy was looking for you, so I just gave him directions to your homeroom did he find you?"

"IT WAS YOU!" Kyo shot forward and grabbed a fistful of Haru's clothing, who seemed unfazed by the aggressive welcoming as I reached out and tugged at Kyo's arm. "YA DAMN OX!"

"What have I accomplished this time?" Haru asked in a monotone voice, questioning me with blank eyes.

"Starting the apocalypse, but nothing too drastic for you." I said simply, tugging at Kyo's arm again.

"Yuki! Kyo!" Momiji popped up from behind Haru, making Kyo yelp and stumble back a few steps.

"Momiji." Haru said in a serious voice, "It would be best not to stall… we must leave." Haru turned abruptly, strolling down the hall in a seemingly determined manner.

I would have given him a bewildered face if I hadn't caught the sound of commotion from down the few halls Kyo and I had just wandered.

I reached out to the stunned Kyo and tugged at his shirt, "Let's go."

He obliged without much reluctance as we made our way quickly after Haru and Momiji who were disappearing around the corner.

"C'mon, they aren't that dangerous," Kyo scoffed, "Why're we running from a bunch of girls?"

"You want to stay and find out?" I asked as we rounded the corner as well.

"Better then running away from a battle!" Kyo stopped as I turned to him. "I'm not a coward!"

I sighed, "You're unbelievable." I turned from him, "Alright, but don't go crying to me for any help." I walked down the hall by myself, rounding another corner where Haru was having difficulty choosing between a yellow and red sucker that Momiji was offering him.

"Do you know where Honda-San is?" I asked as Haru picked the red one from Momiji's hands before popping it inside his mouth.

"Yeah, she's outside…" Haru nodded his head in the direction before moving for the exit, "She's got food."

I walked with them as Momiji offered me a sucker of my own, but I declined while we walked through the doors. The warm air hit me pleasantly as we wandered out of the shade from the school and into the heated sun.

I looked over to one of the tree's to see Tohru waving at me from a distance with Hanajima and Arisa. Momiji lifted his sucker from his mouth and greeted them with an audible 'hey' as we approached them.

"Where's Kyo?" Tohru asked with a concerned voice—it looked like she had gotten out of the classroom all right; Arisa had probably dragged her from the scene.

"He decided to be a trooper." Haru mused as he slouched down beside Tohru, "Can I have one?" He leaned over to her, peeking into her lunch box.

"Oh yes, help yourself!" She gave him a smile, holding out the lunch box to him as he picked up a dumpling.

"You can have some of my sucker." He offered, "It makes your tongue red," He stuck out his dyed tongue and I laced my fingers across my forehead, sighing audibly.

Tohru let out an amused giggle before turning to me, "Would you like some, Yuki?" She held out her lunch box as I folded my legs, settling myself down on the grass in front of her.

"No thank you, I'll eat later." I said absently as I rested my elbow on my knee and cupped my chin in my hand. I was wondering what was happening to Kyo at the moment… what if he turned into a cat? He wasn't exactly in a very attentive mood today, was he…

"Do you have any plans for the summer, Tohru?" Arisa asked as she pulled out a deck of cards.

"Oh yes!" Tohru rested her lunch box on her lap as Haru greedily popped another piece of food inside his mouth from it. "I'm going to be working full time now!"

"Are we playing a game?" Hanajima inquired as she slipped on her black veil while Arisa shuffled the deck of cards in her hand.

"Whoever's up to it," She said in a challenging voice, "Prince, you in?"

I looked up at her, willing myself to stay attentive despite the sleeping fog still covering my thoughts, "Yeah, sure."

"Tohru?" Arisa asked as Tohru nodded vigorously, Arisa moved her eyes over to Haru, "And how 'bout you?"

Haru looked up at her, sucking his fingers clean of whatever food he got stuck on them. Haru blinked at her while Arisa blinked back…

"Alright, how about you, kid?" Arisa moved on to Momiji who chirped up immediately.

"Oh yes, I would love to play!" Momiji crawled over my lap as I leaned away, "Are we playing Old Maid? Let's play Old Maid!" I picked Momiji up from underneath his arms and set him down beside me… he was beginning to get heavier, and he was definitely starting to mature.

"Alright, Old Maid." Arisa dealt the cards skilfully; I wondered if she would ever consider working at a casino, I had no trouble picturing it.

I picked up my pile of cards absently and fanned them out in between my fingers, concealing them from everyone. I glanced over to the door I had exited from, expecting Kyo to come strutting out with a triumphant and bragging grin on his face.

"Yuki, you're turn."

I turned back to the group and my eyes darted around everyone's hands, their cards splayed amongst their fingers protectively.

I reached out absently, and pulled a card from Haru's collection. I slipped it into my own group of cards, two of spades. I didn't have the match, "Alright, Momiji." I said in consensus to his turn.

"I choose Tohru!" Momiji said gleefully as he reached over vigorously, displaying his cards to everyone in the process. I sighed and looked away politely as he tugged a card from Tohru's hands. "Aw, nuts, it's the three of-"

"Hey, kid," Arisa interrupted, "Ya gotta keep it secret."

"Oh right!" Momiji covered his mouth his cards, "It's a _secret."_

I barely registered it when people would pick from my cards, and I would absently pick one from theirs—but it wasn't long until the conversation pulled me out of my thoughts with a few simple words in a haunting voice—

"Here he comes…" Hanajima said in a simple thought—and at the same time, the door burst open and I watched in shock as Kyo streamed out with a crash as a growing blur shot after him—

"GO AWAY!" Kyo screamed over his shoulder as he neared us—and when he finally reached me, I felt him grab onto my shirt and pull me to my feet, cowering behind me.

"What're you doing?!" I snapped, trying to escape his grasp, but he wrapped an arm quickly around my waist, pulling me against his body.

"I'm hiding!" He snapped back, "Their _crazy! CRAZY!"_

I looked back forward and jolted in shock as I saw numerous girls standing in front of me with evilly dark eyes filled with vicious intentions—but once they caught my look they simmered down.

"Hello…" I said uncertainly as the cloud of anguish started to dissipate from above them slowly.

"Don't worry Prince Yuki!" One barked possessively, "We'll take care of him!"

"I will not allow the Prince to be in an abusive relationship!" another declared determinedly.

"Um… Abusive?" I inquired in uncertainty.

"We hear how he yells at you!" One said sharply in an authorized voice, "He's a brute!"

"YOU'RE THE BRUTES!" Kyo cried from behind me, making me flinch away from the volume of his voice, "THE HELL'S THE ROPE FOR?"

"To take _care of you_!" One lifted it from behind her back and pulled it tight in between her hands as she glared daggers at Kyo who I felt pull me further back with him.

They advanced forwards and I made an attempt to leave Kyo's firm grip, "Kyo, let go."

"WHAT?" He said in astonishment, pulling me tighter against him, "THEY'LL KILL ME!"

"I told you not to come crying to me," I said sharply, grabbing onto his hand and trying to pry it from my waist, "Or are you being a coward?"

"You're letting them _torture me?!"_ He hissed in astonishment.

"I told you I wasn't going to help." I turned to look into his desperate eyes, "So… are you being a coward or not?"

"_What?"_ He hissed at me as his eyes darted back and forth between the girls and mine. He tugged me back a bit as I caught the girl's advancing forward in a threatening manner.

"If you admit you're being a coward, then I'll help you." I said simply, "If not… then you can just forget it."

He glared at me with vicious eyes, "_That's stupid!"_

"What's stupid is the fact that you're hiding behind me like a kid." I retorted, "You want you're balls or not, Cat?"

His eyes bulged in fear as I continued, "I thought I saw a jackknife in one of their hands, or are you feeling lucky?"

His eyes were full of fear as he tugged me closer to him—his eyes turned tight with defensiveness, "Fine."

"Fine what?"

"Fine help!" Kyo hissed in my ear as I looked back at the girl's—I would've cringed at their dark, evil eyes if I didn't have Kyo cowering behind me.

"So are you a coward?" I curled my fingers around his.

He growled in my ear, but it disappeared immediately as the two girls at either end began to circle around us. I felt the atmosphere grow tight as Kyo made his decision—

"Yes,"

"Yes?" I repeated.

"Yes!" He hissed impatiently as his grip around my waist tightened immensely… it would've hurt if I wasn't so pleased in the whole situation Kyo had brought upon himself.

"I want to hear you say it, Kyo." I said simply, feeling at ease with his body against mine. I was secretly enjoying this, as intense and consequential it could be, this was the first time I've been so close to Kyo in a while.

Kyo growled in my ear again, and I felt it rumble from his chest. I tried to hide my grin, as the grip he had on my arm tightened. We were now nearly the centre of a tightening circle when—

"Alright, I'm a goddamn coward!" He barked—

"Ladies," I held out my hand as a suggestion, and they all froze in their approach, "I think you may be mistaking a few things."

"Don't try to defend him, Prince!" The one behind us said cautiously, "We will protect you!"

I gave a sincere smile, "No, you see… Kyo's not aggressive."

"He's a violent animal!" One barked, "I bet he makes you cry every night!"

"No, No… How can I put this…" I placed a finger to my lips as I contemplated which story to go with, "You see… Kyo is actually quite a softy."

The atmosphere around me drooped in disbelief as I felt Kyo's dishevelled energy wash over me.

I continued, "He just acts all tough because he's really a quiet, shy, hopeless romantic." I watched as the girls slumped in confusion, "I come home and it's all candles and cupcakes, I don't know what to do with him." I patted his hand with a smile as I felt his body tense against mine.

"What?" The blank tone said bluntly.

"_What?"_ Kyo hissed in my ear.

"He spoils me too much, honestly," I gushed, "You know, rose petals on the beds, bubbles in the bath, soft music in the background, he's completely hopeless."

"_Watch it, rat-"_ Kyo hissed dangerously in my ear, but the girls interrupted him—

"Really?" One asked in disbelief as an audible 'aw' flowed through all of them like a wave, "That is so adorable!"

"I keep telling him it's too much, but he never listens to me," I said absently, "He's always trying to win me over."

"And he should be!" One said harshly, "He shouldn't even be _touching you!"_

"Yeah!" One agreed, equally putout, "What makes him think he deserves you?"

"Yuki…" Kyo tugged me closer as the girls began approaching us again.

"We made a vow!" One barked, "No one gets near you without _our_ permission!"

"Yeah, he's just playing you!"

"That _dirt bag!"_

I sighed and decided to take another approach, "I don't think you understand." I looked up at them with as gentle eyes as I could, "I was the one who asked him out."

The girls stopped in the tracks and I looked at them, tight against Kyo, "I've… really liked him for a while, and I've wanted to be with him for a few years now." I gave a shy smile, "I finally got the courage to ask him out, and he said yes."

I felt Kyo shake with embarrassment behind me, grumbling in frustration, but I knew he couldn't do anything about it. I really shouldn't be teasing him like this, but he did bring it upon himself, and I was already exhausted from a tiring day—I deserved a moment for myself.

"He was actually going to buy me dinner today," I said as if just recalling, "But I do appreciate you're concern, all of you are much too caring."

"_Much too creepy is more like it."_ Kyo murmured into my shoulder and I repressed a grin.

"Well. Girls." The apparent leader of the mob said with authority in her implying voice. The girls returned to form a group behind the one brunette girl.

She stuck her nose in the air, "We shall be off then, Prince Yuki." She gave a fluid bow that was so dramatic I found myself blinking a few times as the group behind her followed the motion. She straightened up abruptly, "We all wish you a lovely summer."

As she turned I caught the evil, dark, and almost terrifying glare that she shot at Kyo before disembarking. The group filed back through the door to the school, which closed with a muffled noise, finalizing the scene.

"You. Are. _Evil."_ Kyo hissed into my ear and I let out a sigh.

Suddenly, roaring laughter filled the air and I nearly jumped in shock—completely forgetting that we had an audience.

"Way to go Prince!" Arisa roared with laughter, doubling over as her cards fell from her hands, Momiji rolling around with her.

I felt Kyo puff up against me, "SHUT UP! THE HELL ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?"

I cringed as his yell echoed through my ear at a nasty volume, and I reached over my shoulder and shoved my hand over his mouth. I turned around in his arms, suddenly chest-to-chest with my favourite cat.

"Don't yell in my ear," I said, taking in how pink his cheeks were—he was flustered with embarrassment and aggravation, and now that my fun was over, I couldn't help but feel immensely sorry for him.

"You're sick." He grumbled into my hand as his eyes narrowed, "You're really _really sick."_

I raised an eyebrow at him and pulled my hand from his mouth, "I'll take that as a thank you." I reached behind me and laced my fingers around his, taking his hand away from my back. I untangled myself from him, and left the comfort and warmth of his arms with secret reluctance. I walked over to the group who were trying to stifle their laughter—the only one who wasn't laughing was Hanajima who looking like she was observing something quite enthralling between Kyo and I, and Tohru who was looking quite frazzled at how Kyo nearly got tied up and sliced to bits.

Of course, things are always over-exaggerated in her eyes.

I slid to the ground, and started gathering the cards that had fell from my hand after Kyo had made his entrance.

"Hey, Kyo—you think we could come over for cupcakes sometime?" Arisa asked enthusiastically as the air from Kyo's direction suddenly grew tense.

"NOTHING HE SAID WAS TRUE, DAMMIT!" Completely used to his yelling, I continued to gather the cards without glancing up.

"Nah, I can totally see it." Arisa said in a provoking tone, nudging Hanajima, "Can't you, Hana?"

"Oh yes." She said in her airy voice, "Definitely. But I must say, the rose petals are a bit more realistic for me."

"ARG!" Kyo roared, "TO HELL WITH YOU GUYS!" I looked over on hearing Kyo storm off, and surely there he was marching off the school grounds with his heavy rain cloud of misery looming over his steaming head.

"Was that too much?" Arisa said with amusement.

I made sure the pile of cards in my hands were neatly aligned and I placed them down in front of me, "He's just not in the mood today." I pushed myself off of the ground and looked after him, contemplating whether or not to follow the angry feline.

"Ah, he should be grateful." Arisa took up my pile of cards, "Those girls spend hours thinking up ways to punish the 'law-breakers'."

"Kyo has broken a lot of them." Haru mused, and he gazed over to Kyo, "And it looks like he's gonna be breaking a lot more then rules now."

I sighed, "I'll go after him… Honda-San, do you want to stay longer?" I asked her as she looked up at me.

"Um… actually, I should get dinner started." She pushed herself up as Haru lifted her lunch box up for her to take, "Thank you," She smiled at him as she lifted it from his grasp and trotted over to me, "Alright, let's go." She said in a determined voice.

"Bye, Yuki." Haru said in a suggestive voice, and I nodded to them before falling into step with Tohru.

"How were exams, Miss Honda?" I asked as we found the walkway and made our way home, Kyo still in sight, but marching on impressively.

"Well, I've been studying a lot so… they weren't too hard!" She said pleasantly, and I felt proud of her.

"Then I bet you did wonderfully." I gave her a gentle smile and she returned one with a blush.

We walked home together, Kyo always in safe sight. He didn't do much damage to any of the trees as we passed through the pathway, and he didn't kick down the door—although he opened it pretty violently.

I stepped to the side when I got to the entrance, allowing Tohru to enter first, and I slid out of my shoes before making me way down the hall. I crossed the kitchen as Tohru set her bag down at the wall and began collecting her cooking materials. I wandered up the stairs, and passed Kyo's room where the atmosphere seemed to be electrifying before I opened my door and entered my own room.

I dropped my bag, and immediately pulled my tie off before tugging my buttons loose and sliding it off of my shoulders. I was completely exhausted… I didn't think any amount of words could describe how much I just wanted to collapse and fall asleep.

At the thought, I wandered over to my bed and slid onto it, the warm sheets soft against my bare skin. I felt a promising feeling wash over me, and I slid my arms underneath my pillows and slid my eyes shut, waiting for sleep to drag me under…

But to my utter disappointment, I could only relax. Despite how insanely tired I was, my mind would not allow me to slip to unconsciousness.

I groaned in disbelief and push myself off my sheets. I ran a hand in exhausted frustration through my hair before crawling back out of bed and undoing the button and zipper of my pants, sliding my legs out of them and picking up another pair that was thrown on my floor. I pulled them on while searching for a shirt, which I walked over to and picked up from the floor before tugging it over my head.

When I had the shirt on properly, I brushed my hair out of my face and made for the door. Perhaps if I help Tohru make dinner, and keep Kyo out of my head, I will get tired enough to sleep tonight.

(Kyo's POV)

I shoved the food into my mouth; still extremely frustrated at the embarrassing predicament I had managed to get myself into just because I hadn't listened to the rat. I glared over at him at recalling the incident, but he wasn't looking at me. In fact, he's been avoiding my gaze ever since the whole situation.

It was terrifying how his fangirls listened to him—he was like their tyrant or something, their evil god of doom, their feared lord of hell that would send demons to terrorise the world if his every command wasn't carried out—

"Kyo?" I snapped back into the dining room and looked over to Shigure who continued, "How were your exams?"

I scoffed and folded my arms across my chest, "The _exam_ was fine."

"…Meaning?"

"Meaning I nearly got hung upside down from a damn tree!" I barked, shoving an accusing finger at Yuki, "His damn fangirls are fricken insane!"

"Oh," Shigure let out a chuckle, "You know, when I said you two should work out your sexual frustrations together, I meant in a more private place…"

"Please, say that again." Yuki said with such a dangerous voice that even I shrivelled away from him.

Shigure coughed and flapped his hand, "So word got out?"

"Let's just say there were ropes, mobs, and hostage situations." Yuki said in a final tone, turning back to his food absently.

I put my forearm on the desk and glared at Yuki—he still wasn't looking at me.

"That's disappointing. You were only a day away, weren't you?" Shigure said with a hopeless sigh. "Ah well. Nothing like a good story to end off the school year."

I shot a glare over to him and Tohru lifted herself from her seat—"Is everyone finished?"

"Yeah." I took my plate and pushed myself up, grabbing a few more dishes and followed Tohru into the kitchen.

She turned on the tap and placed her dishes into the sink as I followed suit.

"So… do you think you did alright?" Tohru asked as she pulled out the soap and a dishtowel.

"Better have." Tohru passed me a towel for myself, "If I wasted three hours on nuthin' I'm gonna murder someone."

Tohru gave me a shocked look, and I let out a sigh, "Alright, not murder. I'll just be really _pissed."_ I took the plate Tohru had cleaned and ran it under the water as she nodded vigorously.

"Umm…" She said with that uncertain tone in her voice. I peeked over to her expectantly as she scrubbed at the dishes, "It was… really nice. That Yuki helped you out."

I scoffed, "Like hell he was helping." I rinsed off another plate that Tohru cleaned, "He just knew I'd transform if they got their hands on me."

Tohru blinked, "Oh… right." But, of course, that hadn't stopped her theory. "I don't think he would have liked you to get hurt over him, though."

I nearly dropped the plate into the sink as I tried to fight the blush warming my cheeks. I clenched my teeth and shut my eyes out of indifference, "I wouldn't let a damn girl hurt me."

Tohru passed me another dish, "Well… it did seem awfully scary."

I rinsed off the plate before drying it, "It was just frustrating—if they weren't girls, I would've beat the hell out of them."

Tohru, used to my violent nature, gave a smile.

I heard Yuki and Shigure enter the kitchen behind us as I took another cleaned plate from Tohru's hands. Yuki placed the rest of the dishes on the counter beside Tohru.

"Thank you for dinner, Honda-San." He said in an appreciative tone as I refused to look at him. I didn't want to see Yuki in that kind of light—delusioning myself into thinking he would want to protect me. As stupid as that sounded, and how ridiculously weak that made me seem… it created an odd and idiotically bashful feeling inside of me.

I honestly _hated_ it when he fuelled that kind of emotion in me.

It was just stupid.

I finished cleaning the dishes with Tohru, rinsing and drying off the last few dishes as she put the leftovers into the fridge.

I wiped my hands off on a clean towel, "I'm going to bed." I said simply, tossing the towel back onto the counter and leaving the kitchen.

"Good night!" Tohru called after me as I wandered up the stairs.

I didn't know what time it was, but I was exhausted. I've been exhausted the whole damn day, and all I wanted to do was crash on my bed and sleep for days on end.

I shoved my door opened and closed it behind me. I looked at my empty room—it looked like Tohru had cleaned my clothes as well, because they weren't strayed all over my floor anymore. I heaved a sigh and grabbed the hem of my shirt before pulling it over my head. I was going to get sleep tonight, and it didn't matter how—if I had to knock my head against my alarm clock, I was not going to spend another night awake.

I slid out of my pants as I opened my closet, grabbing a pair of sweats and tugging my legs through them and up onto my hips. I grabbed absently at a t-shirt as I wandered back to my bed, sliding it over my head and tugging my arms through the sleeves. I crawled onto my sheets and slipped underneath them, lying on my back and letting out a final sigh.

(Yuki's POV)

I was underneath my covers, trying desperately to get to sleep—but even through my exhaustion and tired state; I found no peace for me in my bed. I had glanced over at my clock numerous times, and each time the minutes grew slower until I was finally counting down the seconds until it became one in the morning.

The numbers echoed in my head as I counted down until…

There it was.

Another night hopelessly lost.

Once I passed the one am mark, my hope for sleep usually died with the day. I let out a sigh. I had tried to shut Kyo out of my head all night, and even tried to do it at dinner. However, it proved that I didn't have to look at him to have Kyo slink into my mind. I was completely dishevelled, and just wanted to sleep…

Kyo's offering weaved itself through my hopeless mind.

I remembered this morning, after our morning quarrel, when Kyo had stopped me from leaving to tell me (when you summed it up) that I could sleep with him, if I wanted to.

I pushed myself into a sitting position. I didn't want to. I didn't want to depend on him to get sleep, but that was the way it was now—I'm sure that if I kept myself in my room long enough, I would soon be able to fall unconscious on my own… but honestly, I would much rather fall asleep with Kyo.

I sighed and curled my sheets in my hands. I didn't want to seem pathetic… but I really did like sleeping with him.

I slipped out from underneath my sheets and pushed myself off my bed. I wandered over to my door and silently opened it, and closed it behind me with equal quiteness. I crossed the short distance of the hall to Kyo's door… where I hesitated.

He was the one who offered, right?

He gave me permission, right?

Consent?

Authorization?

I reached out; it was not as intense if I saw it as a less intimate agreement. I opened his door quietly, biting my lip at first as I slid and closed myself into his room. I looked over—and saw his silhouette against the dark light of the mood, which drifted through his parted curtains—he was sitting up in his bed, legs crossed and holding his hand to his face as if he was thinking about something.

I approached him quietly, noticing how his bedroom floor wasn't covered with his clothing. Without a word, I slid his sheets down and crawled in beside him.

I saw him open his mouth and I reached out and covered it before he could speak, "If it's anything stupid, don't even bother." I whispered quietly.

I slid my hand from his mouth, as his face grew some-what silent.

I shifted down to my side and looked up at him as he gazed down at me.

Finally, he looked away and lay back down beside me. I immediately felt comfort swirl through my veins in a hopelessly pleasant way. I knew what addiction was now, withdrawal, and the sweet taste of infatuation. His warmth was my drug, and I didn't know how I lasted last night without it.

As if I never had trouble sleeping, I felt my insomnia drift from my body, clearing my lungs and sifting through my mind like a clear, crisp summer breeze.

I felt my eyes slowly close as I listened to his calm, and silent breathing. Every frustration within me, everything that I had been holding back, I didn't need to restrain it anymore… it all just evaporated.

The only tenseness around me seemed to be coming from Kyo. I slid my eyes opened and looked over to him… his face was turned the other way, and the air around him seemed reluctant, and hesitant.

But his voice silently broke the air as it came quiet from his lips, "You know I didn't mean it, right."

I was a bit taken aback, and blinked a few times at his sudden question. "Didn't mean what?" I said with equal silence.

There was a short pause before he continued reluctantly, "When I… get agitated…" he shifted beside me, "Sometimes I say things I don't mean." He said bluntly.

I felt a small smile play at my lips easily, "I'm used to it." I said simply, curving my arm underneath his pillow.

"Except when I said you're evil," He turned over to me with a glare, "You were evil, you deserved it."

I felt a soft chuckle quietly escape my lips as I looked at him, "You didn't listen to me."

"The hell I didn't, you can't expect me to-"

I slid my hand over his mouth again and he stopped talking. I raised an eyebrow at him; "You can keep talking that loud if you want Shigure coming in here."

I took my hand away again almost immediately—just being in the same bed with him again was over powering my senses and thoughts. Touching him would not help me get my much-needed sleep.

That's why I was here, to get sleep. That's all.

He gazed at me with strange eyes… and I wanted to lose myself in them.

_No. That wasn't all._

I slid my eyes closed and felt fog overcome my mind, and slowly slide me into a peaceful abyss. A warm place, a caring place, a place where I mattered… a home.

I fell into unconsciousness with Kyo's breathing echoing peacefully in my mind.

_I wanted… to be with him…_

**-****End****-**

**AN-** -faint- I did it! Thank you for reading, and please be amazing and **!Review!**


	47. Chapter 47

**AN-** whew. You dont know how much effort I've put into typing this chapter onto the computer and posting it. My sister's been in the same room with me the whole time so I've had to do alot of sneaking and looking busy and MAN!! I'm just so relieved all that's finally over for now.  
Anywhat, thank you all so much for your reviews-- I really loved writing the last chapter, it was so much fun! So I was happy that you all enjoyed it as well!  
And I hope that you enjoy this chapter too!

**Chapter Forty Seven**

(Kyo's POV)

I woke with a start, rolling over onto my stomach and nuzzling my face into the protection of my soft pillow, trying to block out the intruding sun. I felt relaxation wash through my body—I had finally gotten a good night's sleep. It was only one night that I stayed awake, but to me it felt like weeks, months, years.

It was so good to get to sleep.

Something nudged at the back of my head and I frowned into my pillow. I recalled yesterday slowly, letting it slip through my mind—I opened my eyes and was surrounded by darkness, so I slid my face to the side to see if my remedy was still with me…

Something that felt like relief washed through me. There he was, again. Sleeping next to me, his breathing silent and slow, as if he had never left.

I was glad that Yuki came back to me… I was a few minutes away from hitting my head against my clock in hopes to knock myself unconscious. I wasn't sure what it was that kept me awake when he wasn't with me… if it was fear, longing, or something else I haven't considered.

It seemed so long ago that he had slept beside me, but now that I thought about it, the memory wasn't hard to recall—It had been before I had made a move on him, and, of course, he had pushed me away. It would've really bothered me if he hadn't come back, I hated feeling like I did something wrong, but it seemed like I've become quite good at it.

I ran a hand stubbornly through my hair. I honestly didn't think he'd come back last night, though… but now that he was here, I wondered if this would become a habit. Part of me wanted it too, and another felt kind of childish… and a different part, wanted to stay in bed with him all day.

I rolled over to my side and stared at the wall. There were a lot of things about him that infuriated me, that agitated me to an unreachable point—but they were all linked to all of the things about him that had me so compelled.

I felt and heard Yuki shift beside me underneath the covers, and I wondered if he was going to wake up any time soon. I glanced over to him, rolling back over to my back. He was on his stomach, his cheek resting against my pillow as he took in a long breath and let it out like a sigh.

I let out a breath of my own and pushed myself up into a sitting position, glancing to the clock. It was after breakfast. I crossed my legs underneath my sheets and rested my elbow on my knee… I supposed that Tohru didn't wake either of us up since she noticed how tired we were yesterday. I appreciated it, the sleep I had was just what I needed—I felt regenerate, fuelled, revived.

Hell lot better then yesterday.

Yuki shifted beside me again… he did that, I had noticed. Before he woke up he usually fidgeted about three times—he did it subtly, but in the quiet of my room and silence of the morning I caught it easily.

I looked down at him. Maybe he would want to wake up alone, in case he was in another grumpy mood. I looked away from him, even though I was in a good mood I didn't know how well he would be, and I didn't feel like being morning bait.

I slid the covers off of my body and made to crawl over him when I felt something at my hand. I looked down to see Yuki's fingers resting on my skin, and I glanced up at him, meeting his hazy, dreamy eyes.

I felt a smirk tug at my lips, "Have a good beauty sleep?" I asked quietly, my voice breaking through the silence of my room.

"Mmm…" Yuki brought his hand away from mine to rub his eyes sleepily. Completely forgetting about my attempt to leave my bed, I watched as Yuki reached above his head and stretched his long body across my sheets in front of me.

There was so much of him.

I felt my body yearn to feel his, I felt the need to reach out and touch him, and my throat went dry thinking about his taste.

I suddenly felt like leaving would be a pretty good idea right now.

I made another move to crawl over him, but this time Yuki's hand was on my arm. I looked back down at him reluctantly. He was watching me almost carefully, as if contemplating something. He captured my curiosity, and once he knew I wasn't going to leave I felt his skin slide up my bare arm. I held back a shiver that wanted to run up my arm from his touch, and his fingers reached over and tugged on the collar of my t-shirt.

Recognizing his request, I let him tug me closer to him until I braced my hands on either side of his head to keep myself above him. He gazed up at me through dazed, yet well-rested eyes. He looked a lot better, his skin wasn't that shade of unhealthy white, and the skin underneath his eyes didn't have that slight tint of purple. I was glad that he got his sleep, but a bit embarrassed that he needed to be beside me to get it.

And at the same time, I felt relaxed—I wasn't the only one losing sleep over it.

I felt Yuki shift underneath me, and he pushed himself up on his elbow, tilting his face towards me until his lips brushed against mine softly… a request, a greeting.

I closed my eyes at the feeling that was consuming my body and fogging my mind as Yuki pressed his lips lightly against mine once more before he pulled away.

I slid my eyes open slowly, looking down at Yuki who gazed up at me.

My heart was gushing in beats, I've thought about this. About him, here, with me. About what I want, and what I don't know. About what I feel, and what I don't want to feel…

But mostly just about what I want.

Because… I'm selfish like that.

He didn't seem to mind being with me, like this. He didn't shoot a remark at me, or leave the moment he woke up… he even stopped me from going. For some reason, I started to feel something inside of me expand pleasantly, like a hot air balloon inside of my ribcage, making it hard for me to breath, but in the most enjoyable way.

I shifted so I was using my forearms to hold myself above him, and leaned closer into him until I could feel his slow breath wash over my face. I slid my eyes closed as I pressed my lips against his in the same slow manner he had.

It was a gentle greeting, breathing slowly against each other, our lips sliding across each other occasionally, sinking into the blissful feeling. Maybe it was the drowsiness of such a wonderful sleep that had me in such a daze, or the sweet scent emitting from him, or even just the thought of having him here, waking up to him sleeping beside me.

For some reason, the feeling was wonderful. I didn't want to wake up alone anymore, I didn't want to be in my bed without his body, didn't want to breath without his breath against my face, didn't want to see without him in sight.

Yuki was beginning… to really mean something to me.

All the times he could've punched my lights out, all the times he could've ripped my thoughts apart with his tongue, every time he had me coiled around his pale, slender fingers… whenever I looked at him when he threw back an insult at me, there wasn't that intense loathing deep in his eyes. His words were still heavy, and sometimes there was something dark in his eyes—but it wasn't the same. I knew it would be impossible to shake the habit of yelling at him, or hurtling insults every time my ego got slashed, but every time I had there wasn't the same heavy feeling inside of me.

What the hell was this rat doing to me.

I felt his fingers brush across my cheekbone and slide themselves into the mess of my hair, and I lazily brushed my lips against his.

It felt so… natural now.

Yuki pushed himself back up, pressing his chest against mine, and I felt my blood give a sharp pulse. I felt him lace his other arm around my back as he closed his mouth over mine with a little more enthusiasm then before, and my blood pulsed in my head as I let him pull me back down with him.

I felt him settle back against my pillow and sheets, and I let my chest rest on his, capturing his lips with mine eagerly. It was when he pulled back slightly and let out a fast breath that I realised I was getting a bit too aggressive with him, but he brushed his lips against mine as if reassuring me. When I brought my mouth back to his, I did it with more restraint, trying to keep myself from listening to what my body wanted to do, and instead trying to let Yuki set the pace.

But when I felt his hand lazily drag itself up the middle of my covered back and his lips capture mine, I had to curl my hands into the sheets to help keep myself restrained.

I'm not sure what it was, maybe just the fact that I had him in my bed that set my blood steaming on fire. Maybe it was just that I've wanted to have him all to myself for so long that it's been getting to me, or that he's just so damn gorgeous when he wakes up, and that look in his eyes... Perhaps it was the combination of it all, but either way—I was definitely hating how hard it was to control myself right now, but not enough to will myself to leave.

Yuki played lazily with the worn fabric of my t-shirt as his lips played with mine, and all my mind could think of was how soft he felt underneath me, and how much I wanted him to slide his fingers underneath my damn t-shirt, to really feel him…

I let out a hot, shaky breath against his lips and I decided to see how far he would let me go, tired of always holding back, of always being held back.

I captured his lips with the same softness he had, but gradually coaxed him into letting me kiss him with more depth and heat. I kept my hands clenching the sheets while my mouth moved insistently against his. He complied, to my sheer delight, with just as much eagerness after a moment of trying to catch my pace.

I felt my body become uncomfortably hot as he tangled his hand into my hair and opened his mouth against mine, his breath cascading along my tongue. Under the desirable invitation, I slid my tongue into his mouth hungrily, pushing my chest against his enthusiastically as I felt an appreciative hum vibrate from him. My head was spinning, my control slipping under his delicious taste, his breath fogging my thoughts, the wet noise of our kiss—the morning slipped from my mind, there was nothing else but the over-powering heat and Yuki.

His mouth was so soft and wet as I swirled my tongue around inside of it, and my heart was pounding against my chest, my body screaming, my blood on fire, my mind left for nothing. I couldn't get close enough, I wasn't close enough to him, I wanted to feel every part of him, every inch of skin, every slight curve, I wanted to taste every part of him, see if he's just as delicious as his wet mouth…

Without a thought, I slid my knee in between his, and coaxed him to let me slid my leg between his. He let out a shaky breath against my mouth as I felt his hand leave my back and coil around my painfully clenched fist. He slid his fingers through my fist, opening it, and pulled my hand until it was against his slight waist. By now I had expected him to push me away, so I was a little surprised by his encouraging gesture. My hand lay uncertainly against his hip, his hand pressed on mine, until I relaxed at the thought of touching him.

His hand slid up my wrist, leaving a burning trail along my skin as he dragged it along my bare arm. I moved my mouth against his—despite my lack of breath—with more heat, my lips hungry, my tongue not tasting enough, my body not feeling enough of his…

Whatever soft feeling inside of me that expanded my ribcage when I woke up, was over-powered and drenched in the desire that I've been holding back for so long…

By the way he was pressing his mouth against mine, breathing against me, clenching his hand in my hair… I could easily delusion myself into thinking he wanted me just as much…

I slowly slid the hand I had at his waist lower, dragging my hand down his thigh, feeling his chest rise and fall quicker against mine. I felt him bend his leg, dragging it up the side of my body as I slid my hand back up his thigh…

He wasn't going to stop me…

Was I being too aggressive? Did he feel like he had to comply with me?

I pulled my mouth away from his, and his breath was shaky, quick and heavy against my face. My insides were clenched tight, and my breathing was husky and fast as I froze every other movement in my body.

Did he really want this?

Did I really want… to get that close? Did he want to get that close with me?

I looked down at him and he was looking back up at me through hazy eyes that sent my blood back on fire. His cheeks were tinted pink, and his lips were swollen from my aggressive mouth.

Dammit… of course he didn't want it. It was the damn _morning_ he's never in the right state of mind in the morning.

I braced my hands on the bed again and pushed myself above him, hanging my head.

How damn stupid can I get?

I bit my lip and tried to catch my breath. The hell, it felt like I had just had one of my morning runs, except I wasn't dripping sweat all over the place.

Without another glance at him, I untangled myself from him and slid out of the bed, absently draping the sheets over him as I stood up. I put a hand on my hip, gritted my teeth, and ran a hand in a frustrated manner through my hair.

Yuki's breath had finally calmed down with mine; I turned immediately and made my way out of my room, not bothering to close the door seeing as he should be leaving my room momentarily.

I walked down the hall and into the washroom, where I shut and locked the door before leaning against it. I put my face in my hands, screaming every curse I knew in my head at myself. I let out a frustrated breath and tugged my shirt over my head before sliding out of my sweatpants. I walked over to the shower, and turned on the water until it stabbed at my skin with it's freezing temperature.

Dammit, I hated cold showers.

(Yuki's POV)

I slumped back into the comfort of Kyo's sheets and let out a long sigh.

Well… that was certainly interesting.

I ran a hand freely through my messy hair.

I looked back over to the door, and recognised the implication he made by leaving it open. I was completely awake now, every fibre in my body on fire. I licked my lips, his taste still filling my mouth and I let out a shaky breath.

His body… felt so amazing pressed against me, all that I could think of at that moment was getting closer. It could've just been seen as a kiss, right? I always over-exaggerated things…

But it didn't feel like just a kiss. The way his body was against mine, the way his mouth was against mine, the way he kept his hands curled in the sheets like he couldn't trust himself enough to touch me…I put a hand to my head and let out a sigh. This was getting difficult. I could tell that this was going to get very difficult.

The sound of the shower running brought me back to time, and I dropped my hand from my face. I couldn't stay here all day. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and tried to get myself to think of something that didn't remind me of him. My mind fell onto Tohru—and I realised that she hadn't come up to get us for breakfast yet. I looked over to Kyo's clock—realising that it was actually well passed the time when Tohru would get us for breakfast.

I felt fear course through me—not the horrified fear, but the embarrassed kind… what if she had come and saw us sleeping together?

I decided to try and calm myself down… she probably had just thought to let us sleep in as long as we could, seeing as we had no school and were walking zombies yesterday. Knowing that it sounded much more like Tohru then the alternative, I calmed myself down and pushed Kyo's warm sheets off of my body.

I was hungry—and even though food wasn't really what my body was craving, I decided to go downstairs and see what I could find. I slid out of Kyo's bed and made my way across his room, peeking out of his door before exiting, just in case Shigure was on the prowl.

I closed Kyo's door behind me and wandered down the hall, descending the stairs while taking my time.

Tohru greeted me with a smile from the stove as I entered the kitchen, "Good morning, Yuki! Did you have a good sleep?"

"Yes, thank you, how was yours?" I asked as I ran a hand swiftly through my hair, only now realising how messy it could be.

"It was wonderful, thank you!" She said while stirring a spoon in her cooking pot, "I hope you don't mind but I didn't wake you up for breakfast… I thought you'd like to sleep in."  
My preferred suspicions were granted correct, and I felt subtle relief wash through me, "Yes, I did, I feel much better now."

"There is some left-overs in the refrigerator, Shigure didn't eat it all." Tohru said as she turned her attention back to her food, "Shigure wanted some soup, so I'm making it now."

I tugged open the refrigerator and pulled out a container of Tohru's cooking, I shut the door behind me and placed the food on the counter, reaching above me to open the cabinet and pull out a plate.

"Is Kyo up yet?" Tohru asked as she switched off the heat to the stove. I glanced over to her at the sound of his name, and realizing that my body had frozen I brought the plate down onto the counter.

"He's just up in the shower." I said absently as I reached up once more to grab another plate, "I'll heat up something for him as well."

"Thank you," Tohru said in an appreciative voice, "I'm finished Shigure's soup, so I will be right back."

I split the left overs equally amongst the two plates and opened the microwave, placing them inside, and closing it. I turned it on and placed the empty container in the sink before going back to the fridge. I tugged it open again and pulled out the milk carton—he was probably going to be grumpy until he got his morning milk.

I didn't see how he liked this stuff, it was almost bitter in a sense. I reached to open another cabinet before pulling two glasses out and placing them on the counter. I opened the milk container before tipping it over the edge of one glass, filling it up a little more then halfway. I put the milk back inside of the refrigerator and took my empty glass over to the sink where I filled it with cold water.

I heard beeping sound through the kitchen and I went over to the microwave, opened it, and pulled out the two plates of food. I placed Kyo's next to his glass of milk and looked over to the stairs. I picked up my plate and water before going over to the dining room and setting myself down.

Tohru came back and entered the room as well, setting herself across from me with a small smile, "So do you have any plans for today, Yuki?"  
I poked at my food as I answered, "No, just relax I suppose. What about you?"

"I'm starting my first full day of work!" She said triumphantly and I gave her a smile.

"Do you know when we will get our test results back?" I asked before taking some food into my mouth.

"We should get it today, actually." She said as she gazed off, "I really hope I did well… if I have to take a retest, I'll probably have to change my schedule…"

"I'm sure you did fine, Honda-San." I said reassuringly before taking a sip of water.

"I actually should get going soon…" Tohru glanced around, looking for a clock that was absent from this room. "But I will be back to back dinner, don't worry!"

"I wont." I finished off the last bit of my breakfast before taking another sip of water as Tohru pushed herself up from the table. I followed her suit, standing up with my dishes in my hand, and Tohru turned back to me, looking like she wanted to say something, but when she didn't speak I decided to.

"Would you like me to walk you to work?" I asked as she looked at me with uncertainty—but soon her face lit up with a brilliant smile.

"Yes, I would like that very much!" She said, "I'll just make sure Shigure doesn't need anything while I'm gone." And with that, Tohru turned from me and left. I made my way into the kitchen—

Kyo was leaning against the counter, a towel slung over his shoulder, and drinking down his milk. I walked passed him and set my dishes in the sink before placing my hands on the edge and hesitating.

The air… was tense.

I stole a glance over to him and he peeked back over to me… There was something in his eyes as he dragged his forearm across his mouth. He looked almost—apologetic, reluctant, uncertain.

I sighed and walked over to him, bringing my hand up quickly and hitting him on the head. He was being ridiculous. Kyo only winced at me, and I carried on passed him and made my way up the stairs to get dressed.

(Kyo's POV)

I made my way through the path aligned by trees, the heat coming down on me from the sky high above my head. I had just finished a visit to the Dojo, I wasn't really planning on doing much fighting, and Haru was only there for a little while since he left to pick up Tohru.

Of course, I was a bit curious at why he was picking her up, but Haru only gave me a smile and disappeared in the trees. I stayed for a little while longer, taking a shower and relaxing around the place… The Dojo was a place where I felt like I could accept myself; it was easy to pass the time there.

But now the sun was lowering into the horizon and I was getting hungry. I was relieved I had the dojo to escape to, the morning had put a lot of stress on me and if I hadn't found a way to get rid of it all I probably would've been feeling like shit the whole damn day.

Honestly, why did everything have to be so frickn' complicated.

Just when I thought Yuki and I finally had everything figured out, this has to come up.

Actually, it's been up ever since I got tied into Yuki… I've just been able to push it aside, sometimes I'd get a bit carried away but I'd always be able to pull back before I got too far into it.

But Christ, it's been getting ridiculously hard to control myself around him now. I didn't know where we would be going now, but I would definitely have to keep consistent control over myself around him.

That's all there was to it, I would just have to learn how to restrain myself.

The house finally came into view and I approached it eagerly, feeling how empty my stomach was and how hungry I had become.

I saw that Shigure's office door was open, and I decided to take that exit into the house. As I approached the house I noticed that everyone seemed to be inside. I hopped up onto the porch and entered the refreshingly cool atmosphere.

"Hello, Kyo! How was your day?" Tohru greeted as Yuki looked over to me from leaning against Shigure's desk.

"Fine." I kicked aside a few books that were in my way.

"I got your test results."

I looked over to Yuki who was holding up an envelope, and I noticed that Tohru had one too.

"Tohru, open yours. I want to see how you did." Shigure stretched over from his armchair and tugged at her envelope—but Yuki reached over and threw Shigure's hand away.

"She doesn't have to tell you her marks," Yuki stated, looking back at me and holding out my envelope.

Avoiding his eyes, I reached out and took it from him, ripping it open carelessly and tugging out the pieces of folded paper. I wasn't nervous about failing, if I did it wasn't gonna bother me. I would just have to take that damn re-test.

I unfolded the papers in front of me as I heard Tohru do the same. The first piece of paper was green, giving out standard instruction to taking the re-test that everyone got, and I put it in between my teeth as I looked at the other paper work.

The next one was just another waste of paper, notifying us of the registration date and other crap, so I tossed it to the floor and took the final piece of paper in my hands.

I scanned through the words and numbers to search for my final mark…

"HAH!" I declared triumphantly, taking the piece of paper out of my mouth and dropping it before shoving my mark sheet in front of Yuki's face, "BEAT _THAT!"_

I had successfully passed with a reasonable mark, and there was no way that rat could have done better since he was basically passed out during the whole exam—

Yuki lifted his own sheet of paper and held it in front of my eyes—I gawked at it….

"THE HELL?!" I grabbed at his piece of paper and scanned through it, trying to find a mistake, "But you were frickn' _asleep!"_

He beat me again! I dropped my arm and felt frustration wash over me—he beat me, and he was half-dead throughout the whole exam!

"That's just stupid!" I fumed, looking back up at him, "You bribed them, didn't you?!"

Yuki sighed and slipped his test results out from my grip, "Be grateful you passed, cat." Yuki turned away from me before I could send a retort, "How did you do, Honda-San?"

She looked up from her sheet and gave a shy smile, "Well I… I passed."

"May I see?" Yuki asked politely, offering out his hand in suggestion. Tohru complied without a hesitation and Yuki's eyes ran over the sheet briefly before a small smile graced his face and he looked back at her, "Well done, Honda-San."

"What, lemme see-" I reached out but Yuki tugged the sheet away from me and raised an eyebrow at me before speaking, "It's Honda-San's marks."

"It's nothing special," Tohru said modestly, and I reached out again and snatched the paper form Yuki's hands. I looked over the piece of paper, and saw that she had gotten a higher mark then Yuki.

"WHAT?" I flared, looking over at her, "HOW THE HELL CAN YOU PASS HIM AND I CAN'T?"

"She studied?" Yuki suggested in an obvious voice and I sent him a glare.

"You both were pretty out of it that day, anyways." Shigure leaned back into his seat and tapped his pen against his lips, "A wonder you both passed."

"Is not." I said in a sharp voice, glaring at him as he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, Tohru…" Shigure turned his attention to Tohru as I barely registered Yuki taking her marks out of my hand. "Will you be making dinner anytime soon?"

"Oh yes!" Tohru said, taking the sheet of paper from Yuki, "I'll start right away, don't worry!"

"Oh, no rush, no rush." Shigure flapped his hand around before holding his chin in between his fingers, "So no re-tests then… that's a relief, isn't it?"

"Who cares, it's all finished now." I said, placing a fist on my hip.

"And Yuki beat you," Shigure gave me an instigating smile and I felt irritation bubble up inside of me, I didn't feel like being mocked right now, and I opened my mouth to shoot back an infuriated retort when—

Yuki brought up his envelope and tapped it on my head. I looked over to him as he gave me a calm look, a slight smile in his eyes. He turned and walked passed me, and was out of the room in seconds.

I looked after him.

It was almost like… when we were in the kitchen this morning. When he hit me in the head with that look on his face… as if he was reassuring me or something.

Did that mean he wasn't mad at me?  
For this morning?

I felt something like relief wash through my body.

He really let it go easy this time, but I didn't want to think how he would react if I kept up my aggressive behaviour.

I didn't even know if he wanted to be with me any more intimately.

I just felt…

Completely hopeless with him.

"So something is going on between you two."

I looked back at Shigure who was scrutinizing my expression and I crossed my arms over my chest, "The hell are you rambling about."

Tohru looked between Shigure and I as he tapped the pen to his lips again, a smirk in his eyes. "Yuki seemed quite in thought today… and so do you, actually."

"No one's in thought, stop acting like you know everything." I said, but whatever potential insult came from my words were diminished by my harmless tone. I turned to Tohru, "So?" I said in an expectant tone.

She blinked at me and I continued, "Are you gonna make dinner or not?"

Tohru seemed to snap into realization, "Oh yes! I'm sorry!" She flew passed me and I stumbled back before her body collided with mine as she exited the room as well. When she did, however, the room was completely silent as neither Shigure nor I made a sound.

I could feel his eyes on me in expectance.

I stood hesitantly in Shigure's office… Reluctant, stubborn, and obstinate. I kept my arms crossed defensively over my chest, "So… he didn't say anything, did he?"

"Who say what?"

I could hear his deliberate tone, and knew he was playing with me. I wasn't going to get anything out of him if I let my temper rise, however… so I turned my eyes reluctantly over to him, a knowing look on his face as I continued, "Did Yuki say anything to you?"

"About what?" Shigure asked again, leaning back in his chair with a smirk on his face.

"Anything." I repeated.

Shigure grinned and shook his head, "No. Not a word."

I turned immediately from him and left the room, I didn't think Yuki would vent anything to Shigure, but I just wanted to make sure. It would be nice if he did talk to someone… if I could get that someone to tell me everything Yuki said.

I hated not knowing what was going on his head.

It drove me insane.

And it was now, more then ever, that I would give anything to know what he was thinking.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** these are getting longer. please **!REVIEW!** be fantastic!!


	48. Chapter 48

**AN-** Alrighty... I'm sorry I took so long. Firstly, I didn't have alot of computer access, and secondly, I was busy with a few things I had to settle outside of this fic.  
But it is still my number one priority, and I am not planning on putting this on hold anytime soon, I wont submit any of you to that, you've all been much too good to me.  
Everyone who has reviewed, I am so complimented, thank you so much!!  
and to all of you who are questioning, they do still have another year of High School left.  
So onwaaard!! To Chapter Forty Eight!

**Chapter Forty Eight**

(Yuki's POV)

I stirred in the warmth and comfort, letting out a slow sigh, my eyes still closed gently though I was waking up.

I had fallen asleep once more in the comfort of Kyo's bed… even though we haven't really been interacting much with each other lately.

There were the glances, always the glances, and the simple passing of remarks between us. We were always around people when we would be together; usually it was only in the morning and late at night when we would be alone.

Part of me hated that.

But the other part… actually did it intentionally.

I just feel like there's a really different air around us now. I feel like he's been avoiding making contact with me, and it's been bothering me to no end… but I still can't help but avoid him as well… there is something tense between us, and I feel like he's hiding from me.

A part of me didn't want him to do that. A part of me wanted him to go with whatever he wanted, to screw holding back, to restraining himself. He hasn't told me, but I can see it in his eyes, the way he moves, he does it with caution.

Almost like he thought I wanted it to be this way.

But I'm starting to really get agitated by his sober behaviour.

He still argued with me, and he still could hold a light conversation with me. When we were around other people, you wouldn't be able to tell that something was different.

But when we were alone…

There was a thick air of longing masking the atmosphere.

It was a very thick air.

It's been a few days since he's last kissed me, and I've been starting to feel bothered—I hated it when he did this.

I felt him shift beside me… and knew right away that he's been awake for a little while. Whenever he thought I was going to wake up, he would leave. That's why I haven't really made any attempt to showing any signs of consciousness.

I felt him move over my body, and I slid my eyes open, feeling his weight leave the bed. I couldn't do it; I couldn't go another day like this. I hated putting up with his immaturity.

I turned over to see him checking his clock and then, as if sensing my gaze, he looked back over to me.

I gave him an accusing look.

He was just going to leave again, wasn't he?

He was never going to do anything different until I did something, was he?

Confirming my suspicions, Kyo turned away from me—but before he could get any further I reached out and grabbed a hold of his t-shirt.

He looked back at me.

There it was again.

That longing, thickening the air.

Crushing the atmosphere down on me again.

_Don't leave._

I tugged at his t-shirt… but he didn't move. He just stayed there, looking at me with those eyes, and I wanted to know what was going through his head right now. He enclosed his warm hand around mine… and I felt my skin tingle in response. That was the first time he's touched me in two days.

He tugged my hand off of his shirt, but I coiled my fingers tight around his. I wasn't going to let him get away. Not this time, not again.

I pulled on his hand, insisting him to come closer to me… and after a moment of persistence on my part, he finally complied.

I looked up at him from his bed, and he looked down at me. Keeping my hand enclosed around his to make sure he didn't make to leave, I reached up with my other one and pulled at the collar of his t-shirt, pulling him down to me. He rested his hands on the bed as he loomed over me, but when he had locked his elbows I dragged my hand along the skin of his neck, and pulled at the back of his neck, beckoning him closer to me.

He obeyed with hesitation, lowering himself towards me until… I felt the familiar sensation of his warm breath ghosting across my face. We still held each other's gaze, and I could see the restraint in his. I didn't know what I wanted, what I really wanted, but I didn't like it when he did this.

He lowered himself the last few inches… and his warm, soft lips brushed against mine. My eyes slid closed as I pressed my lips against his, feeling my blood spark in my veins. It has been so long…

I felt Kyo relax and ease himself against me as he returned the kiss, but I could feel the restraint as he moved his lips against mine. It felt different from the last time, when he had left all control, or so it had felt. I didn't like it when he restrained himself like this around me, it felt like he was hiding from me, and I wanted him… to be himself around me.

With the hand I had at his neck, I pulled him closer and pressed my mouth for eagerly against him, trying to coax him away from his restraint, trying to reassure him of whatever was holding him back from me.

From whatever was keeping him from me.

I felt him hesitate, and I pressed my lips against his again, tightening my grip on his hand, trying to insist any thoughts away from him. Any thoughts that employed him to leave me.

I felt relief wash over me while electricity shot through my innards as he moved his lips against mine with the same slow enthusiasm I had shown. He inhaled through his nose as he pressed his mouth over mine, not needing my hand on his neck to insist him closer to me.

His lips moved earnestly against mine in a slow manner, that hesitation still having a hold on him. I savoured his taste, his warm, hot taste, and his musky scent. I hadn't tasted him for so long that it came on twice as strong, my body aching for more, over-whelmed and yet starving.

I breathed against his mouth at the fraction of a second that we split apart before his mouth was over mine again, and I suddenly felt a gush of electricity trickle along my skin as I felt all his hesitation leave and his lips captured mine in heated passion, longing, and the thick air of desire rushed into my lungs and latched hard onto the walls of my lungs—

But just as soon as Kyo was kissing me with all of himself, his mouth froze over mine.

He pulled back a fraction of an inch… his breath hot and slightly shaky over my hungry mouth.

His breathing was gone, and I slid my eyes open to see his elbows locked, holding himself over me.

I looked back at him…

There was a war behind his eyes.

Chaos, malice, turmoil, and something else that I couldn't quite identify…

Kyo reached over his shoulder and I felt his warm, soft fingers curl around mine, and without much effort he took my hand from his neck and placed it back down on the sheets. He turned from me and straightened back up.

I watched him leave the room.

There wasn't a word said that broke the audible peace of the household.

But there was no silence in the air.

I closed my eyes and let out a long breath that I had been holding.

(Kyo's POV)

I ran a hand through my shower-damp hair and settled down on the hardwood porch. I basked in the warmth from the sun—I was at the Dojo, and had finished another fight with Haru, who settled down beside me as well.

I had got a hard punch to his cheek, and now a bruise was forming on the skin bellow his eye, irritated red.

I reached over and grabbed my shoe before shoving it on.

"You're frustrated."

I turned to Haru who was doing up his boot, acting like he hadn't said anything at all.

I scoffed at him, "Don't blame my mood." I reached over and grabbed my other shoe; "It's your own damn fault you leave yourself open after you kick."

Haru did up his other boot as I pushed myself to my feet, reaching up in a stretch, feeling my spine crack in a few places before I swung my arms back down.

"Is it Yuki?"

I looked over and felt agitation bubble at my veins, "It's not always about him." I snapped, not bothering to keep my annoyance from my tone.

Haru looked up at me before pushing himself upright, slipping his wristband halfway up his forearm, "I see."

I wrinkled my nose at him before jumping off the porch. It was around the time that Tohru got off work, and I told her that I would pick her up today. I walked forward into the trees—and was confused when I heard footsteps following me. I turned around to see Haru fall into step with me.

I glared at him, "The hell do you think you're going?"

"I'm picking up Tohru."

I clenched my fist, "_I'm_ picking up Tohru!"

Haru looked over to me, "Alright… so you pick up Tohru, and I'll pick up Tohru."

"THERE'S ONLY ONE OF HER, IDIOT!"

"So we'll see who she goes with." Haru said simply, shaking his hair out of his eyes.

"The hell like she's gonna go with _you_." I shoved my hand into my pocket and looked away from him.

"Yes, an inflating cat or a sophisticated ox."

"YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN, YA DAMN COW??" I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and Haru just gave me a blank look like he didn't realise that I was here.

I twitched my eye at him and let go, marching forward, "Feh, whatever." There was no getting through to him. I was angry with how he reacted to my screaming—I wanted him to glare at me and shoot back an insult, but that wasn't Haru, that was—

I shoved a hand through my hair and let out a growl.

I couldn't get him out of my head. Yuki was everywhere, tugging at every thought. I've been avoiding him lately, and it's been toying with my head.

God, this morning was plaguing my mind. I thought I could control myself, but the way his hand felt on mine, his lips, his taste, his breath…

I let out a shaky breath and put a hand on my head. I was so used to kissing him that it was easy for me to get carried away, and as natural as my craving seems, I can't help but feel completely evil for it all. It agitated me so much—because there was nothing I could do about it.

(Yuki's POV)

"Have you resolved it yet?"

I looked over to my shoulder to Shigure who was sitting in his armchair leisurely, looking at me through his glasses.

I looked back outside; leaning against the doorframe as I sat on his porch, "Resolved what?"

"Whatever's going on between you and Kyo." Shigure said simply.

I looked down at the book in my hands, opening it up to a random page, "Nothing's going on, Shigure."

I went back to pretending to read the book Shigure had offered me—even if my mind weren't flying everywhere I still wouldn't read any novel he'd find interest in. My eyes scanned over the page, taking in the creases in the paper and the odd smell emitting from it. It smelt sharp, professional, polished… nothing at all like Kyo.

I gazed out, watching the leaves on the trees shimmer in the sunlight as the breeze brushed through the branches.

I didn't know why this bothered me so much.

There was so much desire that he sparked inside of me. It used to be simple, an innocent longing, a fond touch, a sincere kiss, just the honest feeling of his lips on mine, the pure feeling of waking up to him…

I've always felt desire towards him, it's always been there, but I've pushed it aside so much that I hadn't realised how much it's been growing… and now, I can't hide it very well around him. Especially when he was so close to me.

I just don't know how to deal with it, because I think he's made it pretty clear that he doesn't want me in the way I did—He always pushed away when I would let my guard down. It was hard to know what was going through his head.

I placed the book down beside me and brought my knees up to my chin, wrapping my arms around my legs and resting my forehead on my knees.

This was frustrating.

A ringing sound vibrated through the air and I looked over my shoulder to see Shigure looking curiously at the phone. The sharp sound rang through the air again and Shigure reached out and rested his hand against the phone.

The ring rang out again, "Will you get it already?" I insisted, but Shigure put up a finger to stop me.

"You have to let it ring a few times, it makes you look busy." Shigure said in a sneaky voice, giving me a sly smile before clearing his throat and picking up the phone mid-ring.

"Helloooo?" Shigure asked as he leaned back into his armchair.

I placed my head back on my knees and closed my eyes—

"Oh Hatori!"

My eyes opened. I had forgotten—

"Oh, but why don't you want to talk to me!" Shigure complained as I looked over to him. Shigure gave a sheepish grin and flapped his hand in the air, "Oh, that's not true! Don't spread such horrible rumours!"

Shigure heaved a sigh, "Very well." He took the phone away from his ear and held it leisurely in the air, "It's for you, Yuki."

I pushed myself up from the floor and made my way through the mass of novels and papers that covered the floor, and reached out to take the phone from Shigure. He watched me as I put it to my ear, "Hello."

"_Good evening, Yuki."_

Hatori's voice was professional and I let out a silent sigh, "How have you been, Hatori?" I asked politely.

"_Well, thank you."_ He said in the same voice and I let him continued, _"I believe you're check up is due."_

"Yes." I said in a monotone voice—there had been so much on my mind that my check-up over at the main house had completely slipped my mind… so much has happened since the last call.

"_I have an opening tomorrow morning."_ Hatori stated in a firm voice, _"Do you have anything happening?"_

"No." I said simply.

"_Very well. Then I will come and pick you up."_

"Alright." I kept my voice clear. I waited as a click sounded in my ear, and Hatori was off the line. I reached over and slipped the phone back onto its holder.

Shigure was giving me an expectant look, and I raised an eyebrow at it, "Did you want something?"

"So what's going on?" Shigure asked insistently.

"My check up is tomorrow." I said simply, "Hatori will be by in the morning."

"Ah." Shigure said simply, "Are you nervous?"

"It's a check up, Shigure."

"There might be something horribly ill about you."

"I wouldn't doubt that, from living with you for so long."

Shigure gave a half-hearted laugh and flapped his hand at me again, "You don't mean that."

"Of course not." I said at the same time as voices sounded in the house. I looked passed Shigure's office door—the others must be home.

(Kyo's POV)

"The hell's he following you around for, anyway." I said in agitation as I helped Tohru clean the dishes. Haru and I had picked up Tohru, but I was a bit out of it to really listen in to their on-going conversation on the way back. That ox has been on Tohru's heels ever since—

I shot a look at her, "Did something happen at the Hotsprings?"

Tohru blinked up at me from cleaning a plate, totally unaware of what I was suggesting, "Well—No, nothing I can really… think of, why?"

"Something _did_ happen!" I accused, my grip on one of the dishes going dangerously tight, "That damn perverted ox!"

"Oh no, nothing happened!" Tohru reached over and quickly saved the plate from my grip as she dried it with her own towel, "He's just being nice, Kyo."

"Like hell he is." I picked up another clean plate and dried it off. It was after dinner, and Shigure was off in his office again—but throughout the whole meal he had been giving Yuki slight glances… and Yuki was currently locked up in his room.

"Kyo?"

"What?" I looked down at her as she lifted the plate from my frozen hands.

She gave me a smile, "I can finish up. Thank you for your help, though."

"Hey—when I start sumthin' I finish it, got that?" I tugged the plate away from her hands and started to dry it again.

"That's the last dish, though, it doesn't matter."

"So let me finish it!" I put the dish away and tossed the towel of the counter, "See? I can take care of things, alright?"

She sighed and gave me a smile, "Alright."

I moved passed her and made my way out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I wanted to know what that rat was up to; he's been out of it all day.

I got to his room, and tapped my knuckle against his door once before opening it up and inviting myself inside.

Yuki glanced at me over his shoulder from his window. He looked curiously at me and I slid the door closed behind me, "What's up?"

Yuki looked away, gazing back out the window. I frowned at him before approaching his turned body as he replied simply, "Nothing."

I was across his untidy room in a few steps, and I placed a hand beside his body, against his windowsill.

"You've been out of it all day."

Yuki turned his head slightly, acknowledging how close I was before going back to staring out the window. He was really lost in thought about something…

"You've been out of it, too."

I blinked, and Yuki turned his body until his back was against his window, looking at me through eyes that tried to see passed mine. Immediately, I knew I had to get my guard up—he was dangerous when he tried to get something out of me.

"How so?" I asked, my body reluctantly taking a step closer to him. I knew I shouldn't be getting any closer, but his scent was so inviting—

"Certain things." He said in response, his voice quieter then usual as he looked at me. I took another small step, and was close enough to nearly feel him breathing.

I would have to restrain myself.

"Like…?" My voice was almost silent as the space between us diminished noticeably.

"You wont be alone with me." He said in response, his breath ghosting across my face.

"I'm alone with you now." I whispered, leaning in closer.

All right… all right, all right, I was too close, this was too close, I had agreed—I wouldn't get this close, this was dangerous.

I breathed in his wonderful scent…

I don't want to pull back—I'm not about to pull back, I can control myself. I can control myself, its just Yuki; it's not like I'm that weak…

I leaned in closer until our lips were nearly a breath apart.

I can control myself…

Yuki's breath filled my mouth, sweet and cool, and I closed the space between us—pressing my lips against his, soft and waiting…

Yuki responded immediately, pressing his cool, gentle mouth against mine and I felt myself stiffen at his reaction—it was hard to keep myself in control with him being so willing.

I pressed my lips against his again, delighting in his taste as I tried to keep my mind aware of everything that was going on… but when I felt Yuki's fingers slid onto my neck while he pressed his lips intently against mine, I lost my breath and had to pull back.

His breath washed over my mouth again—and I wasn't anticipating looking into his eyes, so I rested my other hand against the windowsill on the other side of him and I moved my head beside his.

I curled my hands into fists.

Dammit.

I can't… I can't even kiss him like this without feeling like I'm going to loose my mind.

I exhaled silently—and heard him breath in the way he did before talking, so I opened my mouth and spoke before he could:

"Will I see you tonight?"

I looked down at my knuckles, and they slowly grew white. I concentrated on relaxing my fist, on calming myself down—getting angry at myself wasn't my best shot at getting out of this without his questions.

Yuki made to speak again—But with the hesitation, I could tell he switched what he was going to say.

"Yes."

I pushed myself away from him and made my way out of his room before another word could be said.

I entered my own room and shut the door behind me.

I let out a breath and slid my back down the door until I was sitting on the floor.

This was frustrating.

I want to punch something.

I grumbled as I pushed myself back to my feet and tugged off my shirt.

Where the hell is Haru when I need him.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** More build-up. (I know it wasnt very exciting, forgive.) Thank you for reading, and please be fantastic and **!Review! **so I can put up chapter 49!!


	49. Chapter 49

**AN-** I was excited to write this chapter. Chpt49. Everyone who has reviewed, thank you so much! The last chapter wasn't very exciting, just build up.  
This chapter, though... you will find has purpose, perhaps.

**Chapter Forty Nine**

(Kyo's POV)

I rolled over to my side and stretched my body along my sheets, giving a rough moan from my throat as I relaxed into the comfort of my bed. It was probably near breakfast time, I woke up from my hunger, and Yuki should still be asleep.

I pushed myself up on my elbows as I glanced over to Yuki—

I blinked.

I blinked again and glanced around my room, like he'd be hiding in the corner or something stupid.

Yuki wasn't here.

I frowned and pushed myself straight up, running a hand in a confused manner through my messy hair. He was with me last night, right? Or maybe he wasn't, and I was just so used to having him here I was able to delusion myself into thinking he was with me…

Curiously, I reached out a hand and dragged it along the empty sheet—It felt warm. Yuki was here.

He got up before me?

Agitated by how confused I was, I threw my sheets off of me and left my bed, striding across my room and throwing my door open. Why would he be up before me? I'm always up before him, it's my damn bed, I should leave it first.

I tumbled down the stairs, my mind clearing off the sleepy fog, and strutted across the kitchen and slid open the dining room door.

Tohru and Yuki looked up at me from the dining table in shock of my entrance.

"Oh, good morning Kyo!" Tohru chimed after a moment, and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at Yuki. He was completely dressed; he was never up at this hour. Yuki raised an eyebrow at me as I saw Tohru lift herself up.

"Do you want me to get you some breakfast?" Tohru said politely, "I have it just out here for you!"

"Right." I mumbled absently, and Tohru moved passed me and into the kitchen. I crossed my arms over my chest and held Yuki's gaze.

"So… why're you up so early?" I said in an accusing voice.

Yuki rested his forearm on the table, "It's not that early, you slept in."

I walked over and sat down at the table, "You going somewhere or sumthin'?"

"Perhaps."

"Where?" I pried.

"Why so interested?" Yuki said with equal hostility.

"Why so defensive?" I shot back with an accusing voice.

"So you woke up alone." Yuki said, "Is that what's bothering you?"

"Why would that bother me, Rat?" I shot defensively.

"Why indeed."

"Here you go!" Tohru placed a dish of breakfast in front of me with a cheerful smile as Yuki slid his fingers around his glass and lifted it to his lips.

"How was you're sleep, Kyo?" Tohru sat at the end of the table, Yuki and I on either side of her.

"Fine." I said as I shoved some of the food into my mouth.

"Miss Honda, are you working today?" Yuki asked from across the table. I ate my breakfast while grumbling in my head at him, sending him pissed off glares. Why was he so damn moody all the time?

"Oh yes! But I wont be home for dinner." Her voice was shrivelled with her apologetic tone, and I turned my frustration on her.

"Stop acting sorry for everything." I said sharply as I pushed my dishes away from me, "You can have a damn life, ya know."

"She doesn't need you permission, Cat."

"You shut up!" I barked at Yuki, but his attention was back to Tohru.

"Will you be working over-time, then?" He asked in a polite voice.

Tohru's worried face slipped away as she replied, "Oh no, actually, Uo-chan invited me for a sleepover!" She smiled, "I'm really excited, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner!"

"Stop saying sorry!" I shot as Yuki ignored me.

"That's alright, I hope you enjoy yourself." Yuki said in a considerate voice. I shoved my arms across my chest and mocked his words with my mouth in a very immature way. He was ignoring me. Dammit, I hated it when he ignored me!

"I should get ready, though!" Tohru said with a smile as she pushed herself up from the table, "Would you like me to prepare some dinner for you to heat up?"

"No, we'll be fine, thank you Honda-san." Yuki said as Tohru reached down and took our dishes from the table.

"Alright! I'll be back down soon!" Tohru turned and exited the room, a pleasant hum flowing from the kitchen at her wake.

I slid my eyes back to Yuki who was looking at me with a bored expression as he opened his mouth, "Do you ever change?"

"Do you?" I shot, welcoming the promise of an argument, "You're so damn obnoxious in the morning, ya know that?"

"You're the one barking my ears off." Yuki said, lacing his fingers along his brow in exhaustion "Is it possible to sleep off your insufferable behaviour?"

"You wish!" I said in a sharp voice, feeling my morning agitation toil through my veins.

"Immensely." Yuki muttered.

"What was that?" I said in a vicious voice.

Yuki looked up at me, "I was agreeing with you, cat."

"Well—" I puffed up in agitation, trying to think of a comeback for his reply… "Don't!"

"You're ridiculous." Yuki pushed himself up from the table while I sat fuming.

Stupid rat. Idiot. Moron. Grump pot.

I shot a glare over my shoulder.

Who the hell does he think he is, anyways?

I shoved myself away from the table and stormed through the kitchen to the entrance hall where I shoved on my shoes quickly, but my motion did not go unnoticed.

"Kyo? Are you going somewhere?" Tohru asked as I shoved the door open.

"What's it _look like?"_

"How about you don't come back until you're in a human mood." Yuki shot as he leaned against the wall, glaring at me—he never tolerated it when I brought out my irritation on Tohru.

I felt every despicable emotion fill me, "How 'bout you shut up!" I slammed the door on their faces and stormed off the steps.

Fuming, I trudged my way moodily to the Dojo.

He pissed me off.

Especially when there was nothing I could do about it.

(Yuki's POV)

"Yuki…"

I looked over the back of the couch and saw Shigure leaning against the doorway to the living room. I had gotten back from dropping Tohru off a while ago, and was resting on the couch, the television off and the magazines left on the side table.

"Hatori's here."

I felt confirmation sink inside of me, "I'll be out…" I said as I looked away from Shigure. I lifted myself up from the couch and ran a hand through my hair in attempt to smooth it from any untidiness it might have accomplished.

I made my way around the couch—Kyo had been at the Dojo all day so far. I had no doubt that it was that place he had stormed off to. I didn't know what use he'd get from there, I wasn't sure if Haru would be there in the mornings like this.

I slid into my shoes as I got to the front entrance before drawing the door back.

"How long will you be?" Shigure asked as he leaned against the wall.

"I don't know… maybe an hour including the drive." I said absently.

"What do you want me to tell Kyo?"

I looked back at him, and shifted as I felt something uncomfortable swirl inside of my stomach, "Don't say anything. Shouldn't matter to him."

"If it didn't matter, then I could say whatever I wanted to, couldn't I?" Shigure said hopefully with knowledgeable accusation in his voice and eyes.

I sighed, "Good bye, Shigure." I slid the door closed on him and walked down the steps and approached the silver Mercedes that was waiting, humming quietly with it's engine on as I moved to the passenger side. I hooked my hand under the handle and pulled open the door before sliding into the seat and closing myself in.

"Good day, Yuki." Hatori greeted me as I reached over and hooked my fingers around the seat buckle before tugging the belt over my body and clicking it into place securely.

"Hello, Hatori." He placed his hand around the gearshift and tugged it back before easing onto the gas pedal and backing us out of the driveway. I watched as we drove along the dirt path leading away from the house I live in, and made our way to the domain I used to dwell in with darkness and the cold.

"Is there a reason you didn't just check on me there?" I asked in the silence of the cat. Hatori turned into the main street, the car giving a subtle bump as we came off the dirt path and immediately blended in with the other city cars.

"Akito is not well." Hatori said in a deep, professional voice, "It would be best that I do not leave his immediate care for too long."

I kept my voice to myself through the rest of the ride. I would just have to hope that Akito would not be well enough to ask me to pay Him a visit.

Kyo and I weren't at our best…

I don't know if I can take Akito right now.

I felt insecure enough without His cold words, without that cold place.

Hatori turned into the drive way and rolled down his window as he drove up to the side speaker which automatically switched on and a static, female voice came from it, "Name and Business."

"It's Hatori." He spoke, not bothering to raise his voice into the speaker, which said no more before the gates opened automatically for us. Hatori eased on the gas and the car crawled through the tall gates before they inched closed behind us…

I watched through the side mirror as they clicked back into place—and I felt a wave of fear wash through my body.

I looked back forward to watch the series of structures varied elegantly in front of me.

But the elegance of it held no beauty, no art, no awe-inspiring emotion.

It curled with warning, the sick chill of the promise of unease, of a disconcerting pain waiting to clench at my stomach.

Hatori cut the engine.

I heard him swiftly undo his seatbelt and leave the car. I took in a breath and looked down at my seatbelt. It was coiled around my body, keeping me from whatever awaited inside that house.

I felt Him.

He was here.

The cold, the pain, the darkness, the loneliness, the empty void, the sick abyss, which held nothing… nothing but cold…

The salvation. The need, the lust, the want, the desperation, the promise of guidance, of life, of meaning, of purpose, of servitude, of intention.

There were… so many promises.

And He kept them all.

He kept them all alive inside of me.

I barely heard the click as I undid my seatbelt and let it coil back into itself as I freed my body from its restraint, from it's reassuring keep. I slid my hand along the leather wall of the door, and coiled my fingers around the cool handle.

I pulled it free and opened the door.

(Kyo's POV)

"I wont fight you."

"The hell do you mean, you wont fight me?"

Haru looked at me solemnly before moving passed my body and onto the outside porch, "I wont fight you, Kyo."

"You're backing down?" I barked, "You damn wuss, get off your sorry ass and fight me!"

Haru gazed up, leaning his head back as the sun bathed his face while I walked out to join him.

"You keep letting out your frustrations on me, Kyo." Haru said simply and I glared at him.

"If you cant take the damn beating, then just say it!"

Haru looked over to me and slid his hands into his pant pockets, "It isn't that. I like fighting you, Kyo. You are a challenging opponent."

"Then what the hell is it?" I snapped, already agitated out of my mind.

"You need to confront your frustrations with the person that causes them."

"Yeah? Well here you are, so let's go!" I grabbed a fistful of his shirt viciously but Haru only sighed.

"You're avoiding Yuki."

I blinked at him.

"You're pushing him away."

I wrinkled my nose at him and pushed him away, "The hell's that matter? You want me to fight him, is that it?"

"Yuki can take your anger, Kyo." Haru said as he straightened his shirt out, "He can take your yelling, your screaming, your whining, your attempts at a fight, your insults, your language, and your physical violence."

I looked at him as he turned his eyes to me, a dark cloud shadowing the dim expression he usually held.

"But Yuki can't handle being pushed away."

I looked away from Haru.

I looked away from the sun… from the trees, from the grass, the dirt, the sky, the clouds, the warmth.

"He's been forced into the shadows by so many people in his life, you're the only one who has always acknowledged his existence constantly."

I wasn't pushing him away, the hell would he think like that. That was just stupid; Yuki was the one pushing me away. I was doing him a goddamn favour.

"He's been opening up more, and I think it's because of how much of him you accept."

I tried to clench my fists, but there was no agitation to tense my muscles, no anger to tense my joints.

"It's not drastic. He doesn't talk about anything personal… but he smiles more sincerely nowadays. He's more honest, and he doesn't close himself off as much."

I tried to feel agitation, rage, anger, frustration, _anything_ but this… this other feeling…

"Granted, he's often in a daze, but when he's not—he's more interactive, in his own way."

That was just Yuki, though. He's always… like that…

I didn't change anything.

"When I told you that if you hurt him… I'll never let you forget it." Haru mentioned.

I looked back over to him, remembering the lunch hour Haru had spoken to me about it after I had finished denying my attraction to Yuki. Haru's eyes shifted back to mine, and they were dark, full of protective malice, and calm sincerity.

"I realise that it would be impossible for you not to hurt him at some point." Haru said.

His words coursed through me—sending electric shocks searing through my sensitive veins and split open my innards as I tried to find a sharp retort.

But I knew… better then to defend myself.

"I only wish that when you do…" Haru turned to me; "You will not leave him behind like everyone else, in that same shadow of hopeless disappointment he's been cast back into over and over again."

I stared at Haru.

"You have accepted him…" Haru scrutinized me with his gaze, "In a way that he would let no one else."

Was I pushing him back... in order to save myself from my own insecurities?

From my own fear of rejection, of disappointment?

Was I forcing him into the dark, to keep myself from sinking under?

How... pathetic.

...but was that really it...

Was I really pushing him away to save myself?

Or was I doing it...

to save him?

(Yuki's POV)

I shifted my position so that I was crossing my legs on the soft pillow as Hatori rummaged through his doctor bag in front of me. My eyes skimmed across the room—the pale walls, the desk covered with orderly paperwork, the occasional book stacked neatly against the wall on a shelf. The room was empty, cold, occupied yet unlived in.

But there was more warmth in here then any other room I've been inside from this Main House.

And that warmth came from one, single object. A picture frame.

I averted my eyes from it quickly.

It was beautiful; I knew the picture was beautiful.

I could feel it from here, the beauty, the love, the happiness.

But that was only the coating.

I could also feel the pain, the suffering, the agony and torture, the twisted demise of that picture.

There was… sadness.

In every light of happiness, dwelled sorrow.

Sorrow was needed for happiness. What is light without shadow, what is the sun without night, the rain without clear skies, the hurricane without a peaceful air.

It was unavoidable, irreplaceable.

The trick…

The trick is to keep that shadow from consuming the light.

But when you want to make that light brighter, in your own greedy mind or for the love of another… you make that shadow grow more dominant.

Until there's nothing left to fuel but your own misery.

"Yuki, take off your shirt." Hatori said in a voice of authority. I snapped out of my daze and looked down at my shirt. I reached up and undid the first button, my fingers working nimbly as I exposed more of my chest the more buttons I unfasten.

"I want you to tell me about Kyo."

The cool stethoscope slid onto my skin as my heart gave a jolted beat.

"I want you to tell me how close you are with him."

His slid the cool metal across my skin and I closed my eyes and pictured his fiery hair, and his scorching eyes—his fingertips that left my skin burning, his breath hot against my skin, his taste warm against my lips…

"Can you get out."

Kyo suddenly escaped from my mind, consumed by the dark, completely consumed by the black, the cold.

I opened my eyes and looked at Hatori in confusion, "Excuse me?" My voice was a husky breath.

"You need to stop this."

I blinked at Hatori as he slid the stethoscope across my skin again.

"No."

Hatori looked up at me at my defiant voice.

"No." I repeated.

Hatori looked back down at my chest, "Don't be a fool, Yuki. You know this can't keep going on."

"Don't tell me how my life will go." I said with a cold, hard voice, my eyes cold peeks of ice, "I have a mother for that. I don't need you."

"I am not here to be your mother."

"You're here to be my doctor." I corrected any peace he was trying to imbed within me.

Hatori dropped the cold metal piece from my skin and reached up to unplug the earpieces before resting them around his neck, "Exactly. I must advise you to do what is best for your health."

"My health." I repeated, inquiring dripping with distaste.

"Kyo is no good for you, Yuki." Hatori said in a firm voice. "He is a good boy, someone who has felt more pain then anyone I could ever meet." Hatori took the stethoscope from his neck and placed it in his bag, "He has been beaten, body and mind, he has been pushed to his limits, and he has pushed back ruthlessly."

Hatori wasn't a cold man.

But he wasn't warm.

"Whatever goes on between you two is your own business, your personal choice." Hatori looked back at me with seriousness, "But it will not go as avoided by Akito."

"Akito has no preference to who we feel for." I said in a harsh, quiet voice, "He doesn't care if the person is one of us, or an outsider. If it's a female, or male. Akito will never accept it. If it's the Cat, or the prom queen. He wont accept one more then the other."

Hatori looked at me solemnly, "But he will react more to one."

"Like you said, it's my personal choice."

Hatori let out a breath, "Yuki…"

I looked at him, and felt something inside of my stir. Hatori's usually cloaked eyes seemed to become unveiled… there was… so much sadness…

So much joy ripped from him, so much sorrow embedded within his existence.  
I didn't want to look at that picture.

But I saw that picture in his eyes.

"There is… no hope."

I watched as Hatori continued to look at me with his grief, as someone who has fallen in love, and fallen apart.

"You both have such fragile breaking points… you and Kyo the most." His voice was horrifically sincere with sadness and truthful torture, "You will be forced to that point. With each other."

I looked back at Hatori, not allowing any sign of hopelessness wash over my eyes.

"And you will both drag each other down in the misery that was created between the Cat and the Rat."

"NO!"

I hadn't realised that the loud, sharp voice had shot from my throat until I couldn't recall Hatori's lips moving.

I tried to calm the anxiety that was carving at my insides, quivering my stomach and trembling my lungs.

I breathed in, "Is that all it is?"

Hatori looked at me with an unchanging expression.

"Well, we're just screwed then, aren't we?"

Hatori's face softened from my voice.

"I should just toss in the cards now, shouldn't I?" I said bitterly, "He's the cat, that's all he is, and all he'll ever be. Is that it?"

Hatori gave me a sorrowful gaze.

"I'm the rat… is that all there is?"

I shook my head at him, "That can't be all. It can't be." I clenched my hands into fists as I felt a familiar sting in my nose, "I don't want to be defined by that. I don't want to be living for that. I need to believe… that there is something more."

"There is nothing more."

Hatori gave me a cold, sad look that pierced through my squishy heart.

"I had once thought the way you do, tried to see things the way you do now."

I watched as Hatori cast his eyes downwards, his eyes fading from the room, "I once believed… that there could be something more… for me…"

The sadness… filled the room.

I could not breathe anything but sorrow.

"There is nothing more."

I slid my eyes closed.

"There is nothing more for us here."

I let my fingers uncurl.

"The world is dark and cruel."

I felt a burning sensation sting at the back of my eyes.

"That is all there is for us."

I kept my eyes closed, but opened the ones I had inside of me.

"You have to decide what you want, Yuki."

_What… do I want…_

I saw his flaming hair.

_What… what is it…_

I saw his eyes slide open to reveal his enthralling bright red irises.

_What… do I want…_

His lips tugged at the side, and he gave me a crooked smile.

I felt a warm sensation ring through me...

I slid my eyes open.

"Take me home."

**-****End****-**

**AN-** I wasn't being mean to Hatori, I love his character, and hold him in the highest respect. Hatori was just trying to help Yuki out, he just wanted Yuki to know what he was getting himself into. alright... so now that that's cleared up,  
please, please **!REVIEW! **That would be amazing!


	50. Chapter 50

**AN-** ALRIGHT EVERYBODY.  
Sorry, I had 'family' over, and they're the sneaky kind of family so no internet time for me. But it worked out great because I made you all excited for this, haven't I?? Good, I've worked -all day- (no joke) on this chapter!  
You should be excited for this. It's chapter fifty, everyone! We've made it so far!  
So, saying that...  
Attention Minors- Vacate this webpage. I am not the discrete, subtle, censoring, or 'implying' kind of writer. What you read is what you get, and you might be getting more then you want.  
But to those who want as much as they can get, I hope I did an alright job.  
This is my longest chapter yet-- what is it, um, fifteen pages? Lots of fun.  
OH YES BY THE WAY- _Do not read this page if you dont have a long amount of privet time on your hands._  
... alright? We all privet troopers here? No one's gonna peek over your shoulder and sue me?  
Then wadda hell you waiting for!!

CHAPTER FIFTY MY BELOVED READERS!

**Chapter Fifty**

(Kyo's POV)

I slid the entrance door open, slipped inside the house and closed it behind me before tugging off my shoes. I walked through the short entrance hall and into the kitchen, immediately turning to look into the dining room—which was empty.

I turned and walked across the kitchen to the stairs, which I climbed up leisurely. When I got to the top I wandered down the hall to Yuki's door, and tapped on it briefly before tugging it open. Amongst the thrown clothing and messy bedspread, there was no Yuki. Frowning I leaned back and peeked through the hall before making my way down it and to the washroom, where I braced myself against the doorframe and peeked inside briefly to be greeted by clean towels, empty bath, and deserted shower.

I let a frustrated growl vibrate at the base of my throat before I pushed myself away from the doorframe and wandered back down the hall. I trudged down the stairs and sauntered through the kitchen, taking a turn to the hallway and walked towards Shigure's office door.

Without knocking I invited myself in and wandered amongst the novels and paperwork that were strewn across the barely visible floor.

"Why, hello there, curious one."

I ignored Shigure as I walked across the room, kicking at a few novels that were in my way before grabbing onto his doorframe and leaned outside, but the only thing on the porch was the sun.

"He's not here,"

Still leaning over the threshold I glanced over my shoulder to Shigure who was lounging on his leather black armchair with his pen to his lips as he tapped individual keys on his computer leisurely.

I tapped my finger against the doorframe—I remembered. He said he was going somewhere (and I quote, 'perhaps'); he snuck out of my claws before I could pry it out of him. It looked like Shigure knew, though, which was good and bad…

It was good because I had a way of knowing exactly where he is.

It was bad because… well, because I would have to co-operate with that damn dog.

I tried to get a casual air about me as I leaned my back against the doorframe, "Ah." I said simply. I crossed my arms over my chest and tapped on my elbow… I turned back to Shigure, "So, ya know where he is at all?"

"Perhaps."

I felt my eye twitch. What was that, the word of the frickn' day?

I shifted, trying to lessen the tense in my shoulders as I bit back my tongue, "Perhaps?"

Shigure tapped his chin with his pen and tapped a few more keys, "Mhm."

"So_ooo?"_ I said, trying to unclench my teeth in attempt to sound less stressed.

Shigure peeked up at me innocently, like he hadn't the foggiest what I was talking about.

"So what?"

"So where is he."

Shigure gave me a slow sly grin, "I told him." he muttered to himself as he gazed back into the light of the computer screen.

"Told him what?"

Shigure shrugged and I felt my head fill with steam and I clenched and unclenched my fists several times in attempt to calm myself down. Taking in a fuming breath from my nose, I strutted across his covered floor and slammed my hand against his computer—

"AH!" Shigure wrapped his arms quickly around the object before it crashed to the floor and he gave me an outstanding look, "Don't ruin my technology!!"

"Where is he, dammit!?" I snapped.

"I was told not to tell!" Shigure cradled his precious piece of junk, "And breaking my belongings is no way to get me to say, young man!"

I lifted a foot in threat to smash his 'belonging' and Shigure squealed and hid it with his body, "Don't! Don't!"

"Just _tell me where the hell he is!"_ I wasn't really all this interested in knowing where he was to smash a computer, but it was just the fact that Shigure was being so _damn difficult!_

"He's at the Main House!"

…

I blinked.

…

Alright, the… the Main house—why is Yuki at the main house, the main house is where Aki—

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING THERE?!" I roared as I felt the cold sting of fear rip through my veins like a temperate razor, "HOW COULD YOU LET HIM GO THERE?"

"He had his check up, Kyo." Shigure said, clearly offended as he pushed his computer back onto his desk, "You could've just said please, you kno—hey where do you think you're going!?"

I felt Shigure grab a hold of my t-shirt in a firm unbreakable grip as I tried to exit his room in a bolt.

"I'M GONNA GO GET HIM BEFORE AKITO DOES!" I screamed, how damn stupid could this goddamn dog be?

"Kyo, he won't like that—"

"DO YOU THINK A GIVE A SHIT ABOUT WHAT HE LIKES?"

"Look, Yuki left half an hour ago…" Shigure glanced at his clock as I tried to tug out of his grip reluctantly, "Give him another half an hour."

"GIVE _WHO_ ANOTHER HALF AN HOUR, _AKITO?"_ I was infuriated with him, and the fear that was hammering at my heart did not settle my rage, but fuelled it like gasoline.

"If you leave now, they might be returning home, and you'd look like a complete idiot trying to play the handsome knight in shining armour."

"I'M NOT PLAYING ANYTHING!" I screamed, my body like a steaming train lifted off the tracks.

"Kyo, Yuki can take care of himself. Give him some credit." Shigure, surprisingly, let go of my t-shirt.

I blinked at him, and Shigure continued, "Yuki knows how to take care of himself, and you're behaviour is very degrading to him at the moment."

I shook with fury. My heart felt like a steaming kettle, filling my body with rage and uneasiness. I felt my hand start to cramp painfully from my tight fist, and my lungs clenched ruthlessly as I tried to make a decision.

I bared my teeth and turned on my heel with a sound of utter frustration that ripped from my throat. I stalked through his books and pages until I stormed back out of his room, making my way through the kitchen and up the stairs, trying to calm myself down in my head. I marched through the hallway and wrenched open the side door that led to the platform, and I shoved my body up the ladder until I reached the rooftop.

I paced frigidly along the roof, keeping my eyes darting around the scene in front of me, trying to catch a sign of his return.

I ran a hand furiously through my hair and let a growl grumble from my throat as my heartbeat quickened irrationally.

I shoved both hands quickly through my hair and stood still, letting out a breath that was clinging to my lungs. I tried to simmer the anger that was pulsing through me—why the hell did he not tell me? That stupid goddamn rat, when he gets back I'm definitely going to give him a piece of my damn mind.

Half an Hour, thirty minutes, I can wait to pummel him.

But I was definitely never the patient type, so in a matter of minutes I was up on my feet again, pacing back and forth, my eyes darting all over the place, shoving my hands frequently through my abused hair.

It took ages.

My heart never stopped pounding in my head, insistent to leave me without a moment of ease. My hands curled and uncurled, my muscles tensing and my breathing frustrated. I was a fuelled engine, started and ready to roar to life. I was a wild animal, chained and waiting for the cage to open. My teeth were clenched and my jaw set as I recited calming sentences in my head—but they always led to outraged screaming, so I gave up on that.

I couldn't take it anymore—I was about to strut downstairs to check the time when—

The silent hum of a silver Mercedes vibrated through the air like a subtle breeze through the air, the now setting sun glinted off the sleek body.

I felt my heart give a sharp pulse—and the car was out of sight. I was in the hallway before I could even think his name, and I took the stairs three at a time as I flew across the kitchen, vaguely noticing Shigure as I threw the front door open and trampled across the grounds to the car.

I saw Yuki open the passenger door a second before I got there, and I reached in, grabbed onto his thin arm, and pulled him from the seat, pushing him up against the car.

"Hey!" Yuki's voice was sharp and offended—and then I slid my hands on either side of his face. I ignored his shock expression as my eyes quickly flinted across his flawless face—and I moved my hands quickly to the collar of his shirt, which I tugged down, but the only thing there was his pale skin. I grabbed his wrist and shoved his sleeve up, and did the same to his other arm before I grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged it over his perfect stomach—

"Stop it!" I felt Yuki hit my head as he wretched his shirt back over his skin.

I looked back at his shocked, and irritated expression before saying, "You're not hurt?"

He blinked at me, all irritation diminishing for a moment, "Hurt? No, what are you—"

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!" I screamed at him, my anger bubbling passed my relief as his shock was clearly evident on his face.

His expression soon turned equally irritated, "I was going for a check up, sorry for not asking you're _permission!"_

"YOU SHOULD BE, YOU _STUPID RAT!"_

"What are you yelling at me for?" Yuki barked, "I can go where I want without you, get over it!"

"I'm not gonna get over anything!" my voice just bellow a yell.

"Then you're the one being stupid!"

"Am not!"

"Stop treating me like a kid!" Yuki's infuriation was evident, "Can't I do anything without you breathing down my _neck?"_

"I'm not breathing down your goddamn neck!" I barked, "You're the one sneaking around!"

"I'm not _sneaking!"_ Yuki said, his words burning, "I had an _appointment!"_

"Oh, right, _sure!"_ I shot in sarcasm as Yuki's eyes darkened.

"It was a check up, you stupid cat!" His voice hard, "a completely harmless check up!"

"If it was so completely harmless, then why didn't you _tell me?"_ I raised my voice.

"Because I knew you'd act like this!" Yuki shot, shoving at my shoulders for effect.

"Act like _what?"_ I challenged.

"You _always_ over-exaggerate things!" He tried me, "You can never turn up a chance to get mad at someone, _can you?"_

His cold voice seared through my veins and lashed at my insides, as my eyes blazed dangerously, "It wasn't cuz of _that!"_

"Oh yeah? Try me, then!" Yuki said in a sharp voice, infuriation swirling in his violet eyes, "What has you so infuriated, Cat?"

"I WAS _WORRIED ABOUT YOU_ THAT'S WHY!" I slammed my hand against the car beside him, the impact rocking it, my rage boiling my innards until I was breathing out steam.

Yuki blinked at me, and I glared at him.

I felt infuriation sweep through me again, was it _that_ hard to believe?

I clenched my hands into balls and stepped away from Yuki while keeping my fists on the car, bowing my upper body as I tried to collect my breathing and compose my rage. Things just slipped out whenever my temper overcame me, and it happens so easily with Yuki.

"What?"

I let my teeth grind before naming him, "Stupid."

I could feel Yuki's shocked stare, and when he caught that I wasn't going to say anything more, I heard him breathe in to speak, "But why would you be…"

"Are you an _idiot?"_ I growled before glaring up at him through my eyelashes, "D'you honestly think Akito hasn't figured it out yet?"

Yuki's eyes softened as I felt my stubborn attempt at defending my masculinity form over me again as his gentle gaze and my confession made my cheeks grow a bit warm at his blush.

Yuki looked away, sliding his eyes closed, and let out an exhausted breath.

I bowed my head again before straightened myself back up to eyelevel with Yuki, and he opened his eyes and slid his gaze to me. I looked back at him, finally feeling my anger seep from my pulsing blood, and relief wash through me. He could be so stupid sometimes.

I relaxed my fists easily, and tugged at the hem of his shirt as I stepped away from him, "C'mon."

Yuki let me lead him back across the driveway, passing Shigure and Hatori's watchful looks before entering the house. In silence, I led him through the kitchen and up the stairs, my grip on his shirt loose as I slid open my bedroom door and pulled him inside with me.

(Shigure's POV)

"Soo?" I prompted as Hatori raised an eyebrow, "How'd it go?"

Hatori sighed, "I told him, at least."

"And and?"

"He seemed reluctant to believe me—but I finally got through to him." Hatori said in a low voice, walking back to his car. "Yuki's a smart boy, he'll know how to handle it."

I watched as Hatori tugged open his door and slide inside of his car—and I was at the passenger side, pulling the door open and sitting inside with Hatori as I shut myself in.

"What are you doing?" Hatori said wryly as I grabbed the seatbelt and tugged it over my chest before clicking it into the safety lock.

"I'm not staying here—at least, not until after Midnight." I said cheerily.

"What are you rambling about." Hatori's voice was blunt as he turned the key and the engine vibrated to life.

"Well, you see…. Yuki _is_ a smart boy." I mused as I intertwined my fingers before resting them below my chin, "But I don't think that he's willing to sacrifice something if he still see's some hope."

"What is it your saying, Shigure?"

I looked over to Hatori as he pulled out of the drive, my smile turning sly, "You attempted to end all of this today, right?"

Hatori glanced over to me, "To help stop it before it gets consequential, yes."

I smirked, "I think you did the opposite."

Hatori looked back at me, his brow furrowed as I looked back out the front window.

"I think you just helped them take another step forward." I mused, "I think… you gave them the nudge they needed."

(Yuki's POV)

"How are you?"

"Good, nothing's wrong with me, everything's normal."

"No, Yuki…."

I looked back at Kyo as his eyes became softly insistent as he tried again, "How are you?"

I felt a sigh in my lungs, "I'm alright." I replied simply, and honestly. The day had been draining, I'll confess, but needed. I was glad that Hatori got me out of the house, and talked to me in that atmosphere. I needed to clear things with myself, and being in that place, I knew I couldn't lie to myself there.

I came back, expecting Kyo's anger and infuriation—which he did present—but instead, I was greeted by his worry and concern… and it was honest. The look on his face, it blew me away, the anxiety in his eyes, the way his fingers shook slightly as he quickly inspected me for bruising or cuts, it was real.

My mind felt clear, my thoughts honest, I didn't feel so uncertain anymore.

Well, at least, with one exception.

I looked back at Kyo, "So what's the deal?"

His expression was confused, "What deal?"

I shifted and slid a hand onto my waist, "You go ignoring me for days, then you give a performance like that."

He frowned at me… and I assessed him with careful eyes.

He looked away, "Nuthin."

"Don't even try," I said with a knowing voice, "Have I ever bought that line?"

Kyo turned from me and walked over to his bed, where he turned around and crossed his arms defensively over his chest, showing me he was going to be stubborn again.

I let out an agitated breath, "So what, are you just planning on keeping me at a distance now?"

I think I hit something, because something flashed across his face that wasn't reluctance for a moment, but then he looked away again, "No."  
I moved from my spot, approaching him in a non-threatening manner, "So are you going to at least talk to me?"

Kyo glanced at me, then away, "Nothing to say."

I stopped in front of him, and could almost feel his body tense, "Looks like you got a lot to say." I commented quietly.

He held his arms tighter across his chest, curling into himself, and turned his face farther from me.

I looked away as well, letting out a sigh as I rubbed the back of my neck. This could get exhausting, was it worth it? Could I get it out of him? What was he being so stubborn about… I looked back at him curiously, and I lifted a hand, placing it on his warm neck, and turned his face back towards mine. He did it reluctantly, and his eyes were hard and guarded.

He was definitely hiding something, and I wanted to know what.

"Do you want me to leave you alone, is that it?" I tried, my voice having an unintended hard edge to it.

His eyes wandered away from mine stubbornly, "No."

"Then talk to me."

I waited for him… but nothing changed. Not his posture, his demeanour, his breathing, his tense body, or his hard eyes.

Talking wasn't going to get it out of him.

I glared. He was being so stupid again.

I stepped closer to him, running my other hand up his arm—that caught his attention. His eyes were back on me as I ran my thumb along the skin of his neck. I brought my face closer to his, and felt him give a cautious inhale.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked in a breath.

There was immediately a battle in Kyo's eyes—I could see immense caution, reluctance, certainty and uncertainty, warning, and longing. I didn't know which way he was leaning on my question, so I closed the space between us swiftly, brushing my lips against his.

"If you don't want me here, I'll leave." I breathed against his mouth, dragging my fingers along his warm skin and brushing them through his thick hair briefly before pressing my lips back against his.

I felt Kyo lean back into me—that was encouraging enough. I kissed him slowly, with no urgency or pressing. He was silent with me, but not still. After a moment of coaxing and subtle insistence, Kyo was moving his lips against mine—just the way he had the last few times, cautiously, almost with reluctance, but not without want.

"What is it," I breathed through the second we parted before I tasted his warmth again. He had grown slightly tense under my words, but after a second of kissing him, he was growing easier with me. I pulled back for another breath, "Tell me," another kiss, "Or I'm leaving."

That got him. Immediately, a disapproving growl rumbled from somewhere inside of Kyo, and his hot mouth was against mine earnestly, and I felt his arms unravel from his chest as he hooked one around my waist and the other he slid along my back, up to my shoulder. His lips were warm, insistent, and hot as he dominated the kiss—

_There you are._

I would have smiled in triumph, if electricity wasn't surging through my body at his kiss, and I felt desire pulse through me like a shockwave… I had to concentrate on breaking a part for a breath and forming my words quickly, "What are you hiding?"

The way his mouth closed back on mine, the way his lips devoured mine, I didn't think he ever heard me—That is, until I felt his hot breath back on my face and—

"_I want you."_

Something pulsed through me—something that knocked me back straight into his room. It was more then his words that had thrown me so off balance, as his voice—it was husky, low, and _drenched_ in desire.

I lost my breath.

Whoa… whoa, wait, hold on, wait a second, wait a few _days_ I've been completely knocked off my feet. I thought he didn't want me like that—maybe he was meaning a different way, but god his voice didn't sound very innocent… Wait, no, Kyo's playing, he's _playing_ with me—

Kyo pulled back at notice of my frigidness and looked at me straight in the eye… and, being honest, that didn't help me catch my breath—or convince myself that he was just playing. His red eyes were blazing with want, longing, desire and whatever defensive stubbornness he held onto earlier was completely destroyed.

I was over-powered, completely consumed, and I let out a breath, collecting myself again as I did my utmost best to compose myself, "That hard to say it?" I said, trying to get some of my authority in it, but failing miserably when it came out as a weak breath. I removed my body from the nearness of his. I turned to leave, having accomplished what I wanted—but then Kyo's hand was tight on my wrist, turning me back around.

"I'm not finished with you, rat." Kyo glared at me, not loosening his grip on my wrist- and he stepped even closer to me as I took a step back- and I felt the small of my back hit his desk. Kyo let go of my wrist and placed his hands on the desk of either side of me, trapping me. He looked at me expectantly, his eyes dancing with fire, making my heart rate skyrocket.

"What?" I laid my hands beside his, bracing myself against the desk, trying to keep my voice from wavering.

"Do you want me?"

I blushed automatically and narrowed my eyes at him, "If I didn't you wouldn't have a tongue right now."

"Don't dodge the question."

"I thought I just _answered_ your question."

"Wasn't the answer I want."

I glared at him and he glared back, neither of us looking away. I blushed and turned away from him, feeling childishly stubborn.

"Hm." Was Kyo's reaction to my reluctance… and soon I could feel his breath against my face before his scent intoxicated my mind… then his breath left my face and was ghosting against my bare neck… I couldn't help but let out a shutter.

"If you don't tell me…" His hair tickled at my neck as his warm breath blew against the skin of my exposed throat, "I'll just assume that you don't." I felt his warm, moist lips graze the skin just above my collarbone and I felt myself shiver in delight, "And I'll just assume…" He kissed my throat and blew against it, "That you don't want me anywhere near you anymore." He dragged his lips up my throat until they reached the underside of my jaw, where they planted a kiss, "If you don't want me near you," He ran his moist lips down my throat once more, breathing against my skin, "Then I'll just have to leave." He kissed the hollow of my neck before letting his breath ghost against it, and I shuttered involuntarily once more.

"But…" I felt his lips push themselves against my throat again, "If you _do_ want me…" His wet tongue licked slowly at my skin, causing me to let out a shaky breath, "Then I guess…" He dragged his wet, warm tongue along my throat until he reached the artery in my neck, and I exhaled unevenly, "That I'll stay." I felt his teeth graze against my skin before biting down on my pulse point, and I let in a sharp breath.

His breath blew against my bitten skin, and then trailed light, wet kisses up my neck, along my jaw line, and to my ear…"Do you want me to stay, Yuki?" His voice breathed into my ear before he licked at it. I couldn't find my voice, I was concentrating on breathing… then I felt Kyo bite insistently at my earlobe, "Do you?"

"Y-yes," My voice was weak and barely even a whisper…

Kyo ran his wet tongue along the skin behind my ear as an award, "Does that mean you want me, Yuki?" I felt his fingertips brush against the skin at my hip underneath my shirt, as he planted kisses around my ear. His fingers brushed further along my hip as he rested his palm against my skin as well. I felt his teeth bite at my jaw, "Yuki." He said insistently.

"yes," I was proud to say I didn't stutter, but I'm sure my voice would've wavered if it weren't so quiet.

He kissed his way gently along my cheek, and rested the last one at the corner of my mouth, "I want to hear you say it, Yuki."

His scent fogged every thought in my mind, I melted against his every touch, and my voice turned to mush whenever I heard him whisper to me… but I parted my lips to let out the last few words that were stopping me from tasting Kyo, "I want you,"

Immediately Kyo had his hot mouth on mine with feverish heat, pressing his chest insistently against mine—I was surrounded his heat, melting against his body, his mouth, his taste…

I kissed him back, feeling him suck on my lips and his body pressing up against mine desperately—and there was no doubt he felt my body's reaction to his insistent methods, and I would have blushed if I wasn't so overcome with desire as he kept kissing me, the sound of our wet lips against each other filling my head…

I restrained a shiver as Kyo's hot, wet tongue dragged along my bottom lip, before he rolled his lips against mine—parting them wide before I pressed my open mouth over his, inviting his delicious tongue inside my waiting mouth…

His hot tongue explored my wet mouth eagerly, and I restrained a moan from the stimulating feeling that I've gone without for so long. I let go of my grip on the desk and ran my hands up Kyo's bare forearms, and grasped at his biceps, trying to pull him closer to me.

He felt my earnest gesture, and eagerly pressed his chest flat against mine, the hand he had at my waist ran along my skin to the small of my back, and the heat overcame me as I felt my desire for more flood through me—and I tried to collect my thoughts, but the only thing in my head was Kyo.

How long have I wanted him?

With the hand he had at the small of my back, I felt him push my hips forward as he pressed his against mine—and we both broke apart, letting out a breathy moan at the sensation that coursed like a burning, electric shock from my groin, searing into my curling stomach, making my lungs quiver pleasantly. Kyo grinded his pelvis more insistently against mine, and I could feel just how much he was effect by me, as I was by him, as a rough groan growled from his chest.

In the hot desperation of the moment, I felt Kyo's hand slide down my thigh and hook itself underneath my knee, and I curled my hand in his thick hair, pressing our mouths together in overpowering desire as I pushed my tongue passed his lips and slid it inside of his hot, wet mouth. In reaction, I felt Kyo hitch my leg up on his hip and his tongue slid against mine as I curled my other arm around his neck, trying to bring him closer to me.

Then the floor was gone. I wrapped my legs desperately around his waist as Kyo had me in the air, secured by his arms as I refused to separate from his lips—but we broke apart anyhow when I felt my body tilt backwards as he lowered me down, and my back was against his soft bed. I unwrapped my legs from his waist and shoved myself further on his bed as he crawled on top of me. My hands grabbed earnestly at his t-shirt and I pulled him back to me with little effort on my part as he pressed his mouth back on mine, kissing me with hot desire.

My pants were painfully tight as he rested his body on top of mine, nudging himself in between my legs as his tongue thrusted back into my mouth. I locked my arms around his neck as I felt his warm fingertips slide underneath my shirt and trail along the skin of my stomach.

I broke apart from his mouth, losing all breath from his kiss and fingertips, and latched my mouth onto his neck, sucking at his skin, his breathing quick in my ear, and I unlocked my arms from his neck and moved my hands down his shirt until I got to the hem, where I slid my hands underneath the fabric and felt his warm, roughly smooth skin underneath my palms.

I felt Kyo removed his hands from my body and brace them on either side me while he held himself above my body as I kissed his neck, slowly moving my affectionate mouth lower until I was pressing my lips against the hollow of his neck—and my hands wandered further up his stomach, and I felt the slight bumps of his abs as I skimmed my fingers over his muscles, feeling them twitch slightly underneath my feathery touch.

I removed my hands from his skin and pulled at the hem of his t-shirt, and Kyo willingly allowed me to raise the fabric up his chest until I was tugging it over his head, and he knelt above me, pulling it free from his arms as I ran my hands over the tanned plains of his toned chest. His abs were faintly outlined, and there were a few lighter lines on his skin that I trailed my fingers along—and the slight change in texture had me guessing they were scars.

I pushed myself up on my elbow and pressed my lips against his warm skin, it felt almost worn underneath my touch, and then Kyo was gently pushing me back until I was resting completely against the bed, looking up at him. He was sitting back on his heels, with my thighs resting on his as he held himself over me. The red sun that was invading through his window was blazing his orange hair on fire as his eyes smouldered me, but in the depth of the burning desire was a gentle that smothered my breath.

He leaned over me, bringing his face back to mine as he pressed a kiss against my neck, planting them along my skin with urgent slowness—and I felt his fingers slip back underneath my shirt, and as his hands slid higher, so did my shirt, until he was slipping the fabric over my head. When I was topless underneath him, he absently discarded my clothing off the bed as his other hand rested on my stomach. I felt my stomach twitch and curl in a nervously pleasant way, not use to being touched. His hand was soft, warm, and gentle as he ran it over my skin, resting his other hand at my hip. His eyes devoured my body as his hands explored my exposed skin—and in his face, I saw the lust simmer down to a thought as he took me in. His eyes were calm, and yet filled with subtle excitement, they were gentle and slow, but blazing with desire. I was amazed.

The dimming, red light from the peeking sun bathed Kyo in an ominous glow, perfecting his magnificence, and stealing my breath. Kyo was masculine, he always has been, a boy, an ill-tempered, troublesome boy…

But as I looked at him now, he wasn't that. The look in his eyes wasn't the gaze of a boy, it was a deep look, deferential, admiring, and affectionate—it wasn't innocent, but neither was it guilty. There were thoughts swirling in his eyes, but not the kind that form in words, that you can say or express. His touch was careful, slow and patient—as if I would break underneath him if he ran his fingers too instantly along my body.

Kyo wasn't a boy—he's seen too much in this world to be given that innocence, he's never told me what darkness he's encounter, he's captured, but I see it in his eyes, and I feel it in his touch.

But through the masculinity, the evident manliness about him—Kyo was honestly beautiful.  
It wasn't the kind of beauty that made you jealous, comparing, or lusting… it was a sad kind of beauty, torn and dark, twisted and sorrowful. It was the kind of beautiful that tore you open from the inside, and stole your breath away.  
But I would never tell him that.

I reached to him, sliding my hand along his skin and cupping the back of his neck, slowly pulling him back to me. Kyo's eyes were gazing back into mine, and I felt my insides dance—and then his lips were back on mine, slow and patient, soft and gentle, careful and serene. I slid my hands along his hips, over his waist, and along the valley of his spine before wrapping my arms around him and Kyo lowered himself to me.

The bare skin of his chest rested on mine, and I felt his heat radiate throughout my whole body immediately—I had never imagined him to be so warm. His hands ran along my sides, and I resisted a shudder at the foreign, but pleasant feeling. But a part from the affectionate feeling that expanded inside of me, I felt the uncomfortable ache in my pants make itself more known.

I lifted my face and pressed my lips against Kyo's, and he reacted within a breath, capturing my mouth in a slow, and sensual kiss. His lips rolled against mine with agonizing slowness, his breath flowing inside of my mouth as I willingly submitted to his tempting taste.

The desire was pushing up from the bottom of my stomach, and my mind began to fog as I felt Kyo rest his body completely against mine, lying in between my opened legs. Unable to obey his cursedly patient pace, I coaxed his mouth with mine, easing him into a quicker rhythm. Kyo wasn't resistant, and eagerly caught my desire like a river of gasoline and a spark. His mouth moved feverishly against mine until I felt his tongue slid along my tongue, and I had a fistful of his thick hair and pressed his mouth against mine. I felt Kyo's quick inhale at my earnest behaviour, and his hands were at my hips, holding them until he rolled his pelvis against mine, and we broke apart to breathe against each other until Kyo shifted above me before he grinded me between the bed and his hips.

I hung my head back at let out a breathy moan escape my lips at the feeling of his clothed erection hard against mine, and then Kyo's hot breath was at my neck before his mouth was sucking at my skin, wet and insistent. I felt one of Kyo's hands slid from my hip down to my thigh, where he pushed it further from his body to get a better angle before he was grinding his pelvis against mine again—

_Oh Kami… it felt so good…_

I bit my lip and tried to hold back my breathy whimper without much success, and Kyo's silent purr rumbled powerfully from his chest, vibrating through mine.

I couldn't take—I needed to feel him.

It was desire more then confidence that had my hands sliding down his warm skin to the waistband of his jeans, and I tugged at them hopelessly before running my hand over the bulge of his covered erection and found the button without difficulty, undoing it earnestly and gripping his zipper until I felt his fingers enclosed around mine, tugging my hands away from his pants.

I felt disapproval flood through me and I wanted to scold him, but then he let go of my hands and placed his on the skin of my abdominal area. His touch seemed certain, so I waited helplessly as his fingers trailed down to my own waistband, and his mouth stayed on my neck, which he sucked at eagerly, his tongue coming out to wet it with his saliva every so often. I tilted my head away, exposing more of my neck for him to explore as his hand ran over my clothed erection. I bit my lip, trying to restrain myself from making any noise, but my breathing was becoming painfully tight.

I finally felt him undo the button and then dragged the zipper down before his fingers hooked themselves around my waistband and underwear before tugging them low on my hips. His mouth was back on mine, kissing me with hot desire, and nipping at my lip in a teasing manner. I slid my hand back into his hair, curling it around the thickness before pressing my mouth against his and thrusting my tongue inside his mouth in urgency, while my other hand found one of Kyo's and insistently helped him pull down my pants.

With that little nudge, Kyo was sliding my clothing down my hips, but in agonizing slowness. I finally felt my cock free from it's tight conceal as Kyo slid my clothing over my thighs, and he pulled back, his mouth latching itself back onto my throat as he slid the remaining clothing off my legs. I faintly heard them drop to the floor before the hot sound of Kyo's wet mouth against mine was filling my head as he held himself securely above me, our skin an inch from touching.

It was my turn.

I freed my hand from the thickness of his vibrant orange hair and trailed them down his hot skin, over the slight indent of his ribcage, and trailing my fingertips over his abs, feeling them twitch once more underneath my light touch. I reached the waistband of his pants again, and captured his zipper in between my fingers before tugging it down. With Kyo's mouth feverishly keeping me from breathing properly, I hooked my fingers around the waistband of his pants and easily slid them from his hips—and then remembered his boxers, moving my hands back up to tug those down as well. I slid his clothing down his thighs, and having difficulty reaching further, I broke away from Kyo's pleasurable mouth and slid further underneath him, nipping at his collarbone as he slid his legs from his clothing.

When we were both completely free from fabric, I dropped his clothing to the floor and slid back up to meet Kyo's mouth. I pressed my lips against his—then pulled back.

We breathed against each other.

Kyo held himself above me just enough that I could feel his heat radiating from his skin.

We were naked.

I gazed up at him as he looked back at me.

I could feel my lust like hot water sliding inside of my organs, and I could see Kyo's lust blaze in his hot red eyes.

I was the first to move. I reached out and rested my hand against the bare skin of his waist. I trailed my fingers slowly along his hot skin, over the bump of his hipbone, and down to his upper thigh in a continuous motion. Nothing met my fingers but Kyo's skin. I had trouble registering it… that he and I were wearing nothing but our skin with each other.

He watched me carefully as I expanded my fingers along the skin of his thigh, and saw a spark of lust erupt in his eyes… but along with it, was uncertainty.

I felt familiarity course through me.

It was the same flash he got in his eyes when he ran away from me after he first kissed me, or the second time, and it was that look that he got when he was about to run again after he told me he liked me.

That was…

So unforgettably long ago.

I told him I liked him back there, and that seemed so… powerless. I didn't realise it, but 'like' was so childish, I didn't just like Kyo…

I gazed up at him as I trailed my hands back over the smooth skin of his thigh, and over the slight curve of his waist.

_So if I didn't 'like' him anymore…_

I ran my hand over his chest and to the base of his neck.

_Then what word do I use…_

I wrapped my hand loosely around his neck.

_What is it…_

I barely even tightened my grip when Kyo was easing his face back down to mine.

_What is…_

Kyo's lips rolled against mine.

_This feeling…_

I reached to my side, finding the warm skin of Kyo's hand, and guiding it to my waist. Once his hand was against my skin, I dragged my fingers over his wrist and—

Kyo moved his mouth from mine and planted a line of kisses against my cheek, down to my jaw. I averted my eyes to what my fingers had touched, startled by feeling something that wasn't skin.

A bracelet was wrapped securely around his wrist, the beads connected so close that I couldn't tell if a string was holding them together or not.

A pattern of black and white, light and dark, good and evil.

Love and Hate.

"Can't take those off."

I was a bit startled by how loud his voice was, even though it was a quiet whisper, a near breath, a thought. His voice was too quiet for me to assess his tone—so I brushed it aside.

"Alright." My voice was so silent I didn't know if he heard it, and I removed my hand from his wrist to his face that was hidden in the crook of his neck where he was kissing my skin, and I tilted his chin back up to me, and there was something in his eyes… almost like regret. But it wasn't directed to me. I closed the space again, capturing his lips with mine in a slow kiss.

And his fingers were moving over my skin.

I tried to keep my breathing even as I felt his fingers trail lower down my waist, until I felt him leisurely trace my hipbone, and I had to repress a shiver then wanted to ripple from my hip. His fingers moved lower as my lips moved against his a little faster, and then his skin was trailing passed my pelvis and along my thigh.

My lips moved against his more earnestly as I felt his thumb slide along the skin of my inner thigh…

He moved his warm fingertips along the tingling skin of my groin, and he licked my lips before rolling them open and sliding his tongue inside my mouth. I felt the aching in my erection make itself more pronounced at his teasing touch, and I was losing my breath.

Desire was heating inside of my veins again, boiling my blood, and quickening my pulse. I slid my hands onto his hips, and I slid them around his waist to the small of his bareback.  
I put pressure on his body with my hands, desperate for skin-to-skin contact. Obediently, and with a heated kiss, Kyo complied and lowered himself back down onto my body.

Electricity shot through my skin and rippled through my insides.

His chest was heavy, but comforting lying on me, his hips rested against mine, his bare cock hard beside mine, and I slid the inside of my thighs along his.

I hadn't realised that my eyes were closed, I was seeing through my body now. Picturing how his body fit so perfectly on mine, and I trailed my open hand up Kyo's warm back, picturing his flawless skin, the dent of his spine, the plains of his shoulder blades.

Kyo's chest raised and fell against mine, I could feel him breathe.

I could feel him breathe as if I were a part of him.

Kyo's breath was against the crook of my neck again as we both took in the feeling of our bodies resting against each other.

But through the sentimentality of the feeling, the burning lust was boiling inside of me ruthlessly, coaxed back to fiery dominance as I felt Kyo's fingertips at my hips again before he trailed them along my skin until they reached my thigh.

My breathing became tight as my mind took in the feeling of his hard cock against my skin, and I exhaled in a shaky attempt to calm my charging lust—but driven by the same hot desire as me, I felt Kyo slide his hand to my inner thigh and nudged it further from my body and he shifted before slowly pushing his bare cock hard against mine—and the direct contact had a shaky moan breathing from my parted lips as I felt a groan vibrate from Kyo's body.

Almost instantly after, Kyo was rolling his hips hard against mine again, stimulating my erection with his, and I lifted my pelvis up to meet his, another hot moan escaping my lips as one rumbled from his throat.

Kyo bent my leg upright as he slid slightly lower over my body, and pressed his hard dick in between my balls and against my cock in a hard grind—I felt my muscles tighten as my stomach clenched and another husky whimper escaped my lips while he let out a slow growl.

_K-Kami…_

My lust was making my mouth water, and my breath quicken into a silent pant that I tried to calm down. Pleasure was echoing through my pelvis from Kyo's movements—

"Kyo…" my voice was so silent, a breath, and I wasn't sure if I had thought his name until Kyo breathed against my neck, "yes?"  
His voice was thick with lust, and I had to let out a hot breath before remembering how to speak—and Kyo's hands were running up the skin of my thighs, and back down, underneath them and along my groin.

Then his hips grinded against mine earnestly, and I reached up and grabbed a fistful of his hair, "_please—"  
_My voice mimicked his—hot, drenched in lust and desire, I barely recognised it as it escaped my lips, and I bent both of my legs to his side… then I felt him give a shaky breath and he reluctantly nipped at my neck in disagreement.

"Kyo, please, I need you, please…" my words came out desperately, but dominated by my breath which came in sharp pants.  
I felt his hair tickle my neck, as he shook his head briefly, "No."  
"God, Kyo, _please, I need you inside of me!"_ I hissed in his ear and Kyo ground his hips harshly into mine at my lust-drunk words, making us both shudder with a moan.  
I couldn't take it, I wanted him so much it hurt, I needed him so much I couldn't breathe—  
"_Please, Kyo, come on,"_ I pleaded, my voice helpless and desperate.  
Kyo's breath was hot in my ear, "I told you…" he whispered, "You're fragile."  
All the helplessness was overcome by _need_ and _desire_ and I grabbed a fistful of his hair and jerked him harshly closer to me as I put my mouth near his ear, _"Then break me"_

Kyo growled disapprovingly, but I felt his hands underneath my knees as he pushed them closer to my chest, and his lips found mine before I felt the head of his cock against my virgin entrance before—

I felt the scream vibrate my throat before I realised it was coming from me—the pain was _incredible_, every inch of my body went completely rigid, my muscles tensed to an impossible tightness as I felt a searing pain shoot through my body and I clenched my eyes tight and grinded my teeth together tight, trying to subdue the aching noise that was emitting from my throat still.

Kyo's cock had just stretched my hole in inflexible pain, and a burning sensation formed at the back of my eyes from the immense hurting. I felt like my skin was a fraction away from being torn and ripped—my instincts were to get Kyo out of me immediately, it hurt so much, but I gritted my teeth and bared it.

I hadn't noticed that Kyo had stopped breathing, his body tense and just as tense as mine as his grip on the underside of my thighs trembled with restraint as he kept himself from holding me with a bruising grasp.

Kyo exhaled tightly through his nose and I felt him withdraw—

"No, don't," my voice was tight as I locked my arms firmly around him desperately, "Don't, don't."

Kyo froze reluctantly… he was probably going to blow, this was taking up_ a lot_ of his restraint and control, I could tell—I was skin tight around Kyo's cock, and he couldn't move. I had at least restrained the noises inside of me, so all I had to do was keep myself from making them.

"Yuki…" His voice was tight as well, inflexible, and tense as he kept his face buried in the crook of my neck, "…Yuki, I can't do this…"

I bit my lip, "Go deeper." I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "Please, Kyo."

I could feel his hesitation, but to my relief and utter pain I felt Kyo ease himself obediently further into me—  
I couldn't stop the strained noise that slid through my tight throat, no matter how much I put everything into restraining it; my nails dug themselves into the skin of Kyo's back and he flinched from my nails, stopping again.  
I couldn't tell him it was all right; if I opened my throat every agonised noise would slip out without thought. I knew that I could be seme with or without Kyo's agreement—but this was my way of giving myself to him. Words didn't work on Kyo… you had to prove it.

And holy _shit_ I better be proving it.

"Yuki," Kyo's voice was still strained and tight, "Try to relax."  
I bit my lip… It wasn't easy, I couldn't do it, there was too much pain.  
Through the pain that was clawing my innards, I felt Kyo's reassuring touch move from underneath my thighs, and he slid them over my skin, higher up my thighs…

His warm fingers curled around my aching cock, and I almost opened my mouth and let out a moan along with every other noise… almost.

Then his fingers were moving, sliding down my shaft and curling back around the base of my manhood. It was much more difficult to restrain the moan as his grip tightened—I had to bite my lip and clench my eyes tighter.

Kyo wasn't satisfied with my silent response, and with a tight grip he slid his fist up my cock—I couldn't restrain it, I opened my mouth and let out a tight moan mixed with an agonised noise. The feeling was _amazing_—the electricity shot from my cock up to the pit of my stomach, making it churn pleasantly.

Kyo eased himself further inside of me, and from forgetting the pain momentarily, I let out a shocked noise of restrained ache, and Kyo swiftly got another tight grip on my cock before jerking upwards—and I was unable to restrain my pleasured catch of breath.

He played tightly with my manhood as he continued easing his painfully big cock inside of me, and in the confusion of swirling pleasure and aching pain, I buried my face in Kyo's shoulder—and when he pushed himself further inside, I dug my teeth into his skin in attempt to still the pain.

How much of him _is there?_

His breathing was heavy and strained as the tight moans and vibration of soft growls rumbled against me from his body while he eased himself into my tightness. I felt his fingers crawl up my length, and his thumb rubbed over the head of my cock before sliding back down to my shaft, which he gripped tight again and fisted upwards as he pushed another fraction inside of me, making me pant with pleasure and ache.

I guess I couldn't say he's got a one-track mind anymore.

I was nearly used to the painful sensation that shot through me as he inched further into me, so I concentrated on trying to relax my muscles around him, to make myself more flexible for his cock to penetrate. His hand left my dick to grip the sheets as I felt him push the rest of his cock inside of me—and I let out an un-restrainable, agonised sound as I dug my nails deep into his back… and then I felt his hips against my body again, and knew he was fully inside of me now.

Kyo let out an exhausted, but still tight breath and buried his face in the crook of my neck, pressing a kiss against my skin as I tried to unclench my teeth from his shoulder. All I had to do was just _relax_ and get used to his size—but when I did try to relax my muscles, it would make my flesh more vulnerable to the pain, and I ended seizing up again.

I felt Kyo exhale once more, shaky but not as tense, and then his hand was sliding in between our bodies again, over my abdomen, and around my cock. I let the pain subside while the pleasure dominated as Kyo's hand caressed my cock until I was panting against his skin, letting low, shaky moans escape my lips with the pained sounds.

He pressed his thumb up my length, squeezing my cock with his fingers before slidding back down to my shaft, and I felt him press the heal of his palm hard against my base before kneading my cock against my stomach and the heel of his hand. I panted huskily underneath him, a breathy moan vibrating through my throat between pants.

Under Kyo's sliding fingers, I felt pleasure course through me as the pain that still surrounded his cock had subtly diminished until the stinging expansion almost felt normal. Now that the torturing pain wasn't clouding my thoughts, I realised how he filled me, completely, there wasn't any room left for Kyo to ease into. He was a part of me now.

I wanted more then his hand now that I could handle the pain, and I reached down and tugged Kyo's hand away from my hard, pulsing cock and unlatched my teeth from his shoulder. Kyo let out a tight breath near my ear, and I pushed my hips up against his—  
Kyo let out a strangled moan, and I put everything into keeping myself from whimpering in pain. It still hurt… but it was bearable. I clenched around him and he hissed in my ear, "Yuki…" his voice warned.  
"_Kyo, move"_ I hissed desperately—and that was all he needed to hear. Immediately, Kyo's hands were back on my hips and he pulled back an inch before he pushed himself back inside of me—

I let out an aching sound and bit back down on his shoulder—the pain was still tense and dominant. Kyo gave me a second, and I licked at the bite marks I gave him in reassurance, and Kyo was pulling himself back out before pushing back inside—  
-I dug my nails deep into his skin and winced. It hurt. It hurt, but not as much as it had. Kyo had let out a strained, gruff moan that rumbled from the back of his throat and I tried to relax my muscles again as I felt his cock slide against my inner flesh again—and after he repeated the slow rhythm a few more times, I had let out a lot of the aching noises hidden in shaky moans, and had successfully bitten through Kyo's flesh, tasting the salty rustic flavour of his blood as it oozed from the open wounds.

Kyo wasn't fazed, though, his low growls and hot moans were rumbling through my body until the pain was easing away—it was still there, even as he pushed into me the seventh time, but through the stinging ache, I felt my flesh quiver pleasurably around his cock as it created hot friction against my inner walls.  
The pain was there, but I had adapted to it with digging my teeth and nails into Kyo's skin, and I concentrated on Kyo's breathing, how it quickened and his husky moans that sent my insides on fire… I could cum just listening to him, panting, purring, groaning, his quick hot breaths and his long stretched moans.  
Then Kyo's hands were back underneath my thighs, pushing my legs closer to my body, and he pulled out almost completely before pushing back into me, twisting his hips until—

I dragged my nails down his back and my eyes fluttered as I opened my mouth and let out a hot, heavy sound that was too clear for a moan, but too low for a scream of pleasure—I don't know what he did, but his cock pushed against a sensitive part of my flesh and sent pleasure coursing through my body and up my cock. Kyo's wavering moan in my ear was hot as he pulled his cock back until only the head was inside of me, and he pushed himself back inside, grabbing at my waist as he grinded his twisting hips against mine—

"_A-aah-" _I tore my nails down his back as another strained noise sounded deliciously from my lips. God, that felt so _incredible!  
_I was devoured by the heat as he pushed inside of me, his cock hard against my sensitive inner walls, and I began to pant, rocking my hips up against his, sounds of pleasure straining from my throat over and over again as his grunts, groans, and growls filled my head.

I dug my nails along his skin, feeling it tare as the pain subsided for the undeniable pleasure—he rolled, thrusted, grinded, and plunged his cock deeper and deeper inside of me until I had to close my eyes because my vision was going blurry.  
"_Fu-uck!"_ Kyo hissed as he shoved his cock hard inside of me, and I hung my head back and let out a low husky whimper, as he never kept his cock still inside of me for one second—Rubbing, thrusting, and forcing his manhood deeper inside of me.

_O-oh Kami, I'm close,_

_I'm so close—_

Kyo's pace quickened, his hips grinding harder against my dick as he hissed and cursed in my ear with groaning lust, the tip of his cock hitting my prostate over and over as my flesh quivered with pleasure around him. I felt a twisting fluttering sensation clench at the pit of my stomach, and I dug my nails deep into his flesh as I ground my hips up against him, feeling my warm pre-cum ooze from the slit on the head of my cock as I let out a husky, strained moan, clenching around Kyo's dick.

Kyo let out a hot growl that elongated into a hard moan as he mashed himself harder into me, and I tried to keep the tingling sensation from traveling lower from my stomach, but Kyo's grunts, sounds, and moans weren't helping. Everything was so foggy, all I could feel was the friction of Kyo's cock and his body slick with sweat sliding up and down mine, and the _intense heat._

"K-Kyo—" my voice was dripping in lust and unrecognisable in it's huskiness before I whimpered when Kyo grinded his cock back inside of me, and I felt the tightness in my stomach start to move down lower in a fluttering sensation—and Kyo hissed in my ear. I scratched at his back again as he grabbed a bruising hold on my hips and forced his cock deeper, and I threw my head back, my mouth open panting out pleasurable noises as he kept thrusting inside of me. The tingling was lowering in my stomach—"_P-please, Koi,"_

_So close… I'm so close…_

"_A-aah-"_ Kyo's hands pushed at the underside of my thighs, trying to get deeper inside of me—but even though I believed it was impossible, when Kyo buried his cock inside of me again, I felt him hit my prostate easier, sending waves of pleasure shocking through my body as I let out a hot whimper. His rhythm started to go erratic with his breath as he slammed, thrusted, rolled, and grinded his cock deeper inside of me each time…

I couldn't hold on, the tightness in my stomach dropped in tingling sensations to my cock, and I dug my teeth and nails into Kyo's flesh, clenching a fistful of Kyo's thick damp orange hair as I arched my body into Kyo's, slick with sweat—Kyo's hand grabbed at the one I had in his hair quickly and he pinned it to the bed, curling his fingers tightly around mine as I let out a shaky, loud, strangled orgasmic sound before I felt my flesh clench spastically around Kyo's cock and my eyes rolled back as I felt the sensation erupt through my cock, my cum squeezing out and spilling onto my stomach—and Kyo let out a hot, loud, husky noise and he pushed his cock far inside of me, and I felt his hot cum spill into me as the grip he had on my hand tightened painfully…

My brain started up again.

I took in the clearest things…

the rising and falling of Kyo's hot, slick chest on top of mine, pinning me to his soft bed.

The ceiling that seemed a deep blue from the light coming from the intruding moon.

The sound of Kyo breathing hot and heavy, panting desperately against my neck, and my own breathing erratically trying to calm itself…

and Kyo's slick fingers intertwined lazily with mine, trembling slightly out of weakness.

Throughout my whole body, I felt complete release.

I felt like I had just sprinted across the whole city, and then plunged deep into the ocean.

I… forgot that I was human.

That I needed to breathe, that I needed oxygen.

I forgot that I had blood in my veins.

That I have memories and a future.

That I have a past and dreams.

I was an organ, a pulsing limb, a chunk of living flesh.

But I was not human…

I was a part of a human.

I was a part of Kyo.

I slid my eyes closed and felt my breathing begin to calm with his.

And he was a part of me.

I don't know how long we stayed like this.

Sticky with sweat, calming our breathing while listening to the other's, no words, no thoughts, no memories, no future, no time, no need for time. No need for anything.

We were breaths.

Floating in an airless abyss.

Floating together into nothing, needing nothing, and hearing nothing.

Nothing but each other.

Nothing but him.

It could have been minutes.

It could have easily been hours.

However long it had been, I finally felt Kyo move on top of me, turning his face in the crook of my neck, and between his calming breaths, he pressed a feathery kiss on my skin.

I've never felt so high.

So unbreakable, so indestructible, so immortal.

And I've never felt so vulnerable, so weak, so helpless.

A small smile nudged my insides.

So hopeless.

I felt Kyo slid his thumb against my index finger from where they were intertwined still, if just.

What… a blissful feeling.

My limbs were mush, my bones a breath, and my tendons silk.

I couldn't move if I wanted to.

Kyo shifted against my skin, and he pressed his lips weakly against the hollow of my neck before I felt him slide his cock out from the depths of my flesh, my exhale shaky and slow.  
His seed loyally followed, dripping from my hole as it finally relaxed back into it's normal size, having been stretched to it's limit, and I felt immediately empty without him inside.

Kyo's breath was against my chest, and he pressed a lazy kiss against my skin as he inched his way lower, keeping his fingers intertwined with mine.

He reached my abdomen, his breath tickling my skin, until I felt his tongue drag along my skin. I slid my eyes closed as I felt him lick my cum from my stomach, the muscles underneath his tongue twitching pleasantly as he cleaned my skin. I listened to my breathing, it was cooling down, calming, sedating.

I felt like a thought.

A wish, a hope.

A dream.

Kyo's wet tongue left my sticky skin, and I slid my eyes back open to see him lazily dragging his sheet along his own stomach from where my cum had spilt. His hand shook in mine as he tried to hold himself up, and I reached out with my other one, my fingertips brushing against his jaw line.

Kyo looked back up at me.

His eyes were relaxed, eased, tranquil, and serene.

He lifted his leg over mine and rolled down onto his side next to me, bringing his blanket over our bodies. He rested into his sheets, his eyes as soft as the bed, as calm as the light from the moon, as easy as my breathing, as slow as my thoughts.

I felt cold without the heat of Kyo's body on mine, and rolled over to my side as well, close enough to feel his warmth radiate from his skin, but not close enough to touch him.  
We listened to each other breathe, watched as our eyes became hazy, and didn't think. At least, not in words.

Words didn't exist. I couldn't form them in my head, pronounce them in my thoughts, or recall them from memory.

'_What do you want, Yuki?"_

Kyo kept his fingers lazily intertwined with mine, warm, slick with sweat, and soft with weakness.

He kept his fingers intertwined with mine that night.

Or, at least…

Until I fell asleep in his eyes.

_There are no words._

**-End-**

**AN-** I think Chapter Fifty lived up to the drastic number. I didn't even plan for this to happen at Chpt.50, that worked out so perfectly. Anywat, dear god, please _**!REVIEW!**_ please, honestly, Wine glasses to all of your readers, and Wine in your glasses to all of you who review! I need _your thoughts!!_


	51. Chapter 51

**AN-** So you've made it passed the Lemon! Welcome back to Chapter 51! Now my story shows up when you search stories with M ratings!  
I'm a clumsy fool: I posted the last chapter in a rush to get off the computer (Cuz I was on it all day) and by the time I remembered that I hadn't changed the rating, I had no access to the computer-- so I was basically a steampot of internal anxiety, I was so scared that someone would notice it and my story would get deleted or whatever it is they do to criminals like me... But i changed it and my story is still standing!  
It's the little things... the little things...  
Anyways--  
I FINALLY DID! I _finally_ got some of you sneaky readers to review!!  
And um, um... the reviews, were _amazing_... I am so complimented, thank you _so much!!_  
I was flopping off my chair in flattery.  
So anyways, I feel like the last chapter was a bit of a relief to get out there (Since I've been planning on doing it the whole story... just waiting for the right time.) so now that the buildup is done to that, I feel like we all need a breather of all the 'drama'.  
So, I give you a nice, calm, subtle chapter in which the day is finally normal--well, more so then the rest.  
I will get to the plot points later.  
So for now, please enjoy chapter51!

**Chapter Fifty One**

(Kyo's POV)

I was waking.

my breathing lazy, and my mind empty.

I felt soft skin drag itself along my bare back, and the mist of sleep drifted from my head slowly.

I felt at totally ease, my body complete jelly, my limbs all mush.

My breathing was easy, effortless, and not one muscle in my body was tense…

I felt like I didn't have organs, bones, muscles, I felt like I was the fabric of my sheets, light and flowing, I was at such ease…

Then I felt the skin on my back give a sharp sting when the roaming fingertips put pressure on a sensitive point—

I let out a grunt from the sting, out of shock more then pain, and I reached under my chest, around my side and I curled my fingers around a slight wrist.

I slid my face to the side of my pillow and peered up through a blurry vision to Yuki.

"You finally awake?"

His voice was quiet, but I could still make out the teasing tone in it. I closed my eyes, shifting over onto my back, keeping Yuki's wrist in my lazy grasp while dragging my other forearm over my eyes in attempt to rid them of the sleepy blur, "Nnn…"

I felt the smooth fabric of my sheets twist around my body, the warmth of it wrapped around me in lazy carelessness.

My body felt unusually free, as if all I was wearing were my soft sheets…

Actually, that's exactly what it felt like.

I slid my forearm over my head and glanced down at my body—my sheets were tangled loosely around my waist, but low enough to prove that I wasn't wearing anything at all.

I blinked.

Okay.

I'm naked…

That's um… not very normal…

I blinked a few times, my brow furrowing—and then last night shot back into my head like a sudden crack of lightning, every sound perfectly clear, every feeling completely defined, and every taste so distinct it could still be on my tongue--

"Admiring yourself?"

My eyes shot to Yuki, barely remembering that he was still here in my reminiscing, as he slid his fingers from mine and gave me a smirk as he slid his arms under the pillow, resting back on his stomach.

"Feh, _no."_ My voice was still a bit husky from my sleep as I looked into his teasing eyes. Yuki slid his eyes back closed, and I was given liberty to take in his appearance without his watchful gaze.

Yuki had a content and serene look gracing his handsomely beautiful face, and it emitted off of him in a calming aura. My sheets were draped over of his body carelessly, exposing the beautiful, milky skin of his slender back. I took him in with my eyes, wandering my gaze up the slight valley of his spine, over the smooth plate of his shoulder blades, the slight curve of his waist, the very faint shadow of his ribcage from the side, and the slender dip of the small of his back.

I looked away from his body quickly, and lifted myself up on my elbows as I peered to the alarm clock on my desk. It was close to noon again, and I frowned.

"I didn't want to wake you."

I looked back down at Yuki as he gazed up at me, and the corner of his mouth tugged, "You looked tired."

"How long have you been up?" I asked, my voice still hazy as I rested back into the comfort of my sheets.

He lazily held the sheets modestly over his waist as he rolled over slightly to glance at the time before resting back in the sheets on his side, his eyes on mine, "Fifteen minutes?"

He beat me by fifteen minutes, and I wrinkled my nose at the thought…

Yuki smirked at my reaction, "It wasn't that long."

I grumbled and rolled over onto my stomach, glaring at him. Yuki's smile was slight as he reached over the small space between us, moving the few strands of my orange hair from where they were curtained over my eyes, and tilted his face towards me.

I searched his eyes with mine as all traces of teasing, mockery, and playfulness left his.

We looked at each other honestly, and I saw him in a different light—I didn't know if it was normal to feel this way after having sex with someone, but there was something expanding quickly inside of me—a swell of pride, blissfulness, content, and the most vulnerable, weak, and hopelessly easy feeling was swirling around my insides pleasantly.

I knew it now, gazing back at him, oddly comfortable in my vulnerable state.

Yuki will always be a part of me now.

No matter what happens.

Yuki brought his hand away from my face and I reached over quickly and had his wrist in my hand again, a familiar reflex. My fingers slid over his smooth, porcelain skin and around his fingers before I shifted, pushing myself up on my elbow and I moved our hands to the other side of his body as he eased onto his back while I held myself over him.

His eyes were gentle, relaxed as he gazed up at me. I spread his fingers apart with mine before sliding my hand underneath the pillow and easing my body lower. I slid my eyes closed as I felt his breath, and then I closed the space between us, brushing my lips against his in a greeting.

I felt Yuki's cooler, long fingers brush against the skin on my bare side, and the muscles underneath twitched pleasantly at the new sensation while Yuki softly brushed his lips against mine.

It was barely a kiss, more like feeling the closeness of each other, the slight sweep of soft lips every breath like an affectionate thought.

I felt Yuki's slender fingers lazily drag across my skin, over to my back as he pressed his lips gently against the corner of my mouth, and I returned his feathery kiss in lazy comfort.

Then a grumbling sounded, and a swirling sensation rattled inside of my stomach.

I pulled back from Yuki as I felt his grin, and frowned down at my abdomen that held itself above his pale one. I had forgotten how hungry I was, from skipping out on lunch and dinner yesterday... having more appealing things to do instead.

"We should get up."

Yuki's voice was easy, simple, and quiet with content. I gazed back up at him. Of course—we couldn't stay here forever, we couldn't lie together with nothing but our sheets all day, we weren't thoughts, or words, we weren't sighs or smiles. We weren't skin, or bones; we aren't a taste, or a feeling. We were all of it, we were human, and so we will never be able to stay together—because we had our own needs.

The thought scared me.

So I slung it aside and shifted back into my sheets as Yuki pushed himself up onto his elbows. I watched him as he curled the sheets around his waist while sitting up on the edge of my bed. He reached down, showing me the elegant curve of his milky back as he found something to wear from the floor.

He slid his pants up his legs and over his hips before uncurling the sheets from around him and pushing his slight weight off my bed. He bent down to gather up his shirt, and he slid his arms through the sleeves before pulling it over his head and tugging it over his body, concealing his skin.

I pulled my sheets halfway over my chest as he ran a hand through his hair before looking back at me.

"Are you coming?"

"be down in a minute."

Yuki looked at me for a few seconds longer, then turned and made his across my room, opening my door and closing it behind him as he left.

I felt my cheeks burn, and I buried my face into my pillow, grumbling at myself. There was a swelling sensation dwelling inside of my chest, expanding my ribcage until I could hardly breath. It was so strong, so powerful, I had to dig my teeth into my lip until it grew numb before I could start to settle it down.

Dammit.

Dammit, dammit, dammit.

I…

I don't know…

I shoved my hands into my hair and clenched a fistful of it, gritting my teeth hard together and concentrating on breathing again.

I shoved the feeling back, pushed it far away, hammered it out of my organs, and shoved it into the deep dark corners of my mind, where I sealed it shut, completely locking it away. For now.

I relaxed. It was much easier to breathe now.

Keep it locked up.

Keep it locked up tight.

I let out the breath that I was holding.

(Yuki's POV)

I closed my door and my eyes.

In the safety of my room, I was able to let the feeling consume me.

I slid a hand onto my chest in hopes that the touch would loosen my lungs, but I had to clutch at my shirt and hang my head before breathing became less difficult.

I pictured my hands inside of my body, clutching at the swell that was this overwhelming emotion, and I tore it from where it clung at my lungs before shoving it into an isolated cage in my mind, and I locked it in.

I slid my eyes back open and loosened the grip I had on my shirt before sliding my fingers to my top button and undoing it lazily. I made slow work of unfastening my buttons, and just as sluggishly I slid my shirt from my shoulders and freed my arms.

It wouldn't be helpful if Shigure saw me in the same clothes I was wearing yesterday.

I looked down at my body, trailing my fingers along my unmarked skin…

I walked curiously over to my mirror and skimmed my eyes over my body, from my jaw line, down my neck, over the curve of my shoulders, down my chest, along my waist, and over my hips.

There was no proof on my skin that last night happened.

None, not a scratch, a bruise, or even a hickey.

But the evidence was clear on Kyo's body. Before he woke up, I was admiring the red thin streaks of where my nails had dragged mercilessly along his skin. I brushed it aside and glanced around my room, searching for something to wear for the day.

I lifted a short-sleeved shirt from my floor and absently tugged it over my head while I let my mind wander pointlessly. I don't suppose it was really a big deal, the fact that I had sex with Kyo, we just keep on finding different ways to be intimate with each other. It wasn't more intimate then when he had asked me to sleep with him for the first time, or when he had cried in front of me, or when he picked me up at Student Council or held my hand afterwards… it was just a different kind of intimate.

Strangely enough, it felt more normal that I would have thought. It felt so easy, comfortable, waking up to Kyo this morning. It actually felt amazing, seeing him look at me without that hesitant gaze, and being able to kiss him gently without him restraining himself.

I was glad that we were back to normal.

And I was glad... that I made the decision I did. Before I was a bit uncertain, uncertain of Kyo, of being with him, if it was the right thing, if it was what I really wanted. Hatori's talk... was exactly what I needed to realise that... I really did want him.

I ran my hand through my hair again in attempt to smooth it out, and finally get it to an acceptable neatness. I exited my room quietly, the sleepy haze in my mind having dispersed a while ago, and made my way through the hall and down the stairs.

I was cautious as I entered the kitchen—finally thinking about Shigure's presence. I tried to hold back the embarrassed blush in my face as I tried not to consider the fact that Shigure had… well, had heard us last night. I bit my lip and tried to convince myself that he was oblivious to what went on between Kyo and I.

We didn't really act discrete, so I guess we could blame only ourselves—but honestly, Shigure was the last thing in my head when I had Kyo's body pressed against mine.

I quickly pushed that thought out of my mind as I walked across the empty kitchen, and slid the dining room door open.

Shigure looked up at me expectantly with a smirk, "Why, hello there, Yuki."

I pushed aside his knowing voice and replied as curtly as I could, "Good morning, Shigure."

I sat down at the table as Shigure spread the newspaper across his portion of the wood before starting up a forbidding conversation, "Did you have a good night last night?"

His knowing tone crushed my desperate hope of his ignorance, but I still mustered a casual voice, "It was fine, thank you."

Shigure assessed my expression, and I tried to keep any secretiveness secret.

"How was your check up?"

I looked over to him and saw him eyeing me with an easy smirk tugging at his lips. I sighed and crossed my arms on the table, knowing that he might have gotten something out of Hatori, "It was fine, Hatori talked to me about a few things, and nothing's wrong with me so far."

Shigure's eyes eased but the grin was still in place, "He's very pushy, isn't he? So strict all the time." Shigure shook his head in disapproval.

"No, he's not pushy." I said, thoughtful in disagreement, "He just saw what was going on, and was worried about the outcome."

"The outcome…" Shigure mused, lost in thought.

I looked over to him and his eyes slid back to me, "Are _you_ worried about the outcome?"

I wasn't seeing Shigure as my eyes looked at him… I lost myself in thought. Memory and ideas. I relived Hatori's conversation with me in my head, and remembered the confusion that I had expected to feel—and instead, the resolution.

"I was… worried." I said slowly, "I wasn't sure if I wanted to know."

I gazed off, and slid a hand along my neck absently, "But then I thought… that if I keep on living my life worrying about the consequences of my actions, is that really living?"

I could feel Shigure's appreciative small smile in the air.

"Anyways, it's not really… just my actions, or my consequences anymore." I said in a quiet, thoughtful voice.

I wasn't in this alone anymore.

Just then I heard the footsteps of Kyo before I heard his voice behind me, "Where the hell's breakfast?"

Shigure looked passed me, "Well, Tohru's not here, so I just went out myself since you two seemed to be asleep."

"Wha?" Kyo said in confused disappointment, "Where the hell is she?"

"She's at Uo-san's." I said simply, "For a sleepover, remember?"

"Oh that reminds me!" Shigure popped to liveliness, scrimmaging his hand throughout his kimono, his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth in effort before the crinkling of paper sounded as he pulled it from his clothing and slid it over the table to me, "Tohru left the address—you two can go get breakfast, then pick her up and bring her back home."

I picked up the piece of paper with my fingers and unfolded it, my eyes skimming across the familiar writing.

"Do you want to go?" I glanced over my shoulder at Kyo, lifting the piece of paper up suggestively as he gazed down at it. Kyo pushed himself from the doorframe and took a few steps before sinking down onto his knees behind me, placing a hand on the table and peering more closely over my shoulder at the address.

I tried to keep my insides from curling at his unnecessary closeness.

"Where the hell's that?" Kyo said, his breath against my skin as he furrowed his brow.

"I know the general neighbourhood," I said casually, "Uo-san's living in an apartment."

Kyo wrinkled his nose briefly, "Fine." He pushed himself away from me, getting back up on his feet, "Let's go," he knocked his knuckle on my head before leaving the room.

I sighed at his impatience, but understood it at the same time—we both didn't have any dinner last night due to Tohru's absence and the preoccupied state we were both in.

I looked back at Shigure, who had a very pensive look on his face as if he just observed something very interesting.

I pushed myself up from the floor, "We'll be back later." I promised as Shigure nodded to me, a small grin curving his mouth as he lifted his newspaper back up with a crinkling sound.

I walked out of the dining room and into the entrance hall, slid my feet into my shoes before passing through the already open door.

I closed the entrance door behind me and walked down the few porch steps to where Kyo was standing patiently.

(Kyo's POV)

"Why didn't she just leave a damn map?"

"I know where I'm going."

"Like hell you do," I squinted up at the sun, "We've been walking for hours!"

"Stop over-exaggerating." Yuki said calmly, "I recognise this place."

Yuki and I had stopped at a small restaurant for a quick breakfast earlier on, where I paid for the food since I said something 'offensive'' in our small conversation—but I think he was just looking for a way to sneak out of paying.  
And now we were slinking around the city, looking for Arisa's hiding apartment.

"That's what you said half an hour ago." I said resiliently.

Yuki stopped walking and I looked back at him as he eyed the paper before glancing back up, a small triumphant smile on his lips, "Here it is,"

He briefly lifted the paper up suggestively as I looked over to the sign at the corner of the street—which read the street that was written on the paper.

I drooped in disappointment—he found it.

"C'mon," Yuki was walking passed me, briefly tugging at my t-shirt before I followed him reluctantly.

How come he knows everything?

That wasn't any damn fun.

"You think she got her drunk?" I asked suspiciously, referring to Arisa and Tohru.

An amused grin tugged at Yuki's lips, "I would like to think not."

"That would be frickn' creepy." I carried on, picturing Tohru smiling more often than she already did—"What if she's an angry drunk?" I suggested.

"Honda-san?" Yuki said in confusion, and I nodded solemnly as he gave a chuckle, "Now I'm interested."

We turned the corner and stopped.

The two sidewalks lined the small street as the shabby, cracked, and dirty walls of rickety apartments cast gloomy shadows along the edgy neighbourhood. Trash was strewed carelessly along the ground and dark alleyways were slid in between buildings sceptically.

I glanced over at Yuki as he copied me; the same unsure look on our faces…

"Gimme that!" I ordered, snatching at the piece of paper, but Yuki shoved at my chest with his forearm and held it away,

"You don't know where to look!"

"Just gimme the damn number!"

Yuki looked down earnestly at the piece of paper, walking in a quick pace while I followed him, "Forty-five Twenty-two… it's forty-five twenty-two," Yuki glanced along the building as I copied him earnestly, our pace quickening as we nervously scanned the numbers on the apartments—

"Here it's here!" I tugged at his shirtsleeve, dragging him quickly up the few steps to one of the cracking buildings, there was a row of numbers bellow numerous buttons and I turned back to Yuki but he had lifted a long finger and pressed the black button above the number eighteen.

The reeking smell of alcohol and the thick scent of burning cigarettes fogged up my nostrils, having me wrinkling my nose in detest as the taste stuck to my tongue.

A sharp noise of breaking glass split the air from above and Yuki took a step back to take a gander upwards before glancing nervously back at me. I turned back and shoved my finger against the buzzer he had pressed more insistently.

"_Hello?"_

"Uo-san?" Yuki answered in a hurried voice.

"_Prince? That you?"_

"Yeah, is Tohru up there?"

"_Yes she is—she's a bit preoccupied at the moment.."_

"The hell's goin' on, Yankee?" I barked into the speaker.

"_Orange-top? You stalkin' me?"_

"I AINT STALKIN' NOBODY!"

"Can we come up?" Yuki had a hand at my shoulder, tugging me back as I tried to settle the infuriation that was burning my blood, ignited by my nervous anxiety.

"_Oh yeah! Don't wanna be staying down there, you might get in some trouble,"_ Yuki and I shared nervous glances as a beeping sound buzzed through the air, and then a clicking noise from the door, _"C'mon up!"_

Yuki pulled open the door instantly and held it for me as I trudged through with him on my heels. I took the steps two at a time, turning the slight corner to take on another staircase another few times until I finally reached the appropriate landing.

Yuki had surprisingly kept up with my vigorous pace and was passing my stalled state, leading me down the small, trashed hallway.

The smell was even more dominant inside, the alcohol staining the walls and the cigarette smoke seeping through a few closed doors. I would have thought the thick smell that clung to my lungs would have made Yuki cough by now, but he seemed completely fine.

In fact, he was at the correct door, the carved number 18 on the cracking entrance, and he tapped his knuckles on it.

I was beside him, shoving my hands in my pockets as we waited—and then the sound of sliding, rusty locks was coming from the other side of the door before it gave a slight, pointless jolt in attempt to open, before another forceful tug had the room opening up to us.

Arisa greeted us with a smile and a silhouette, "Yo!"

"Afternoon, Uo-san." Yuki said, his voice still a bit tense with anxiety—and then Tohru popped out from behind Arisa, a brilliant smile suddenly sparking across her face: "Yuki! Kyo!"

"Hello, Honda-san," The relief in Yuki's voice was evident to me, "How are you?"

"I'm very good—can they come in?" She asked Arisa politely.

"Course, don't bother with your shoes," Arisa stepped aside and let Yuki pass—and I hurried in after him quickly.

I heard Arisa shut the door with difficulty, and none-too-silently while Yuki and I wandered down the short entrance hall into the open room, his eyes quickly assessed Tohru subtly, but she seemed fine to me: Her clothes were neat and untroubled while her brunette hair was pulled into two loose piggy tails over her shoulders. Her skin was slightly flushed from the obvious late night.

The reeking scent of beer and nicotine was less evident in the room, and it didn't sting at my sensitive nose as much, but it was still unpleasant.

"Hello."  
I jumped in surprise at the hauntingly creepy voice that sounded from close by, and in reflex had shoved Yuki in front of me.

"Hello, Hana-san." Yuki said wryly as I cringed at the sight of her standing conspicuously at the wall beside the entrance hall, her black, waving hair emphasising her overly pale skin—it wasn't a pleasant pale, it wasn't milky, creamy, didn't look silky, or soft… not like Yuki's skin.

Speaking of Yuki, I was still cowering behind him, my senses on full alert in the sketchy atmosphere.

"Like some tea to calm your nerves?" Arisa said teasingly, walking passed us and into the room as I sent her an offended glare.

"Yes, thank you." Yuki agreed before I could snap anything at her—and he slid from the grip I had at his shirt, turning slightly to glance at me, a reassuring yet mocking smirk playing on his lips.

He walked a forward and joined Tohru as she sat down at the table, which was placed at the far wall, a drastic five steps away.

"How odd."

I cringed again at the haunting voice, my shoulder against the dirty wall as Hanajima gazed at me with penetrating black eyes—my own eye twitching involuntarily.

"You're waves aren't as defensive at his actions." She mused onward, ignoring my silence, "They almost… become more calm."

"Stop that!" I managed a bark, "You're creepin' me out!"

Jesus, what the _hell?!_

"Alright, who's ready for some kick-ass tea?" Arisa said triumphantly as she approached the table from the small kitchen at the opposite corner of the room.

"Oh, I would adore some tea." Hanajima mused, gliding away from me and fluidly sinking down beside Tohru.

"When did you get this place, Uo-San?" Yuki asked in a curious voice as she offered him his tea, taking it gratefully.

I crossed my arms stubbornly over my chest and took in the room more carefully now then everyone was at the table, blocking out their conversation.

The table at the north wall occupied the rectangular space, and the small refrigerator at the corner of the southeast wall, which was accompanied by a counter, stove, and microwave. There was a thin door beside the 'kitchen' where I would guess the bedroom and bathroom were kept—but I didn't care to look.

I looked back at the table—two large windows spaced evenly on the wall in front of it, bathing the room in calm sunlight. Hana was sitting on the right side of Tohru, across from Yuki who had his back to me, and Arisa was at the head of the square table, rambling about how she came to occupy this apartment with her familiar indifferent, and slightly boy-ish voice that suited her well.

As if sensing my gaze, Yuki glanced back over to me and nodded me insistently forward, and it was only when I had let out a frustrated breath and pushed myself off the wall that he looked back to join the conversation.

I shoved myself down beside him, crossing my legs and resting my elbow against the table indifferently as Arisa pushed a cup of tea over to me.

I took it and tipped the edge of the cup to my lips, letting the warm, flavoured water pour pleasantly into my mouth, over-powering the taste of smoke and alcohol with it's sweet flavour. It slid down my throat and into my satisfied stomach, and I immediately felt calmer.

"Did you both do well on the exams?" Yuki asked, carrying an easy conversation, an openly interested look on his face as he addressed Arisa and Hanajima.

"Ah, I did fine, a few re-tests, nuthin' bad." Arisa answered, waving her hand dismissively as she took another sip of her tea.

"I plan to dwell amongst the school for another few hours." Hanajima mused in a lingering voice, "There are still a few things I should finish before embracing the summer."

"You can just say you failed." I said agitatedly.

"I did not fail." Hanajima cupped her tea in between her hands and peered at me from above the rim, "To fail, you must first seek to prevail."

I twitched my eye at her, "So what, you didn't even _try?"_

"Hana-san, that's not right," Arisa said in a disapproving, yet amused voice, "You have to try."

"Alas, I must." She slid a hand in a ghostly manner across Tohru's shoulders, "For Tohru." She slid her eyes to her, and Tohru beamed up at her.

"Do it for yourself, dammit!" I said, severely creeped out, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"And the Prince…" Her eyes drifted over to Yuki in such a haunting manner that even I cringed, "…I have heard you have done well."

"Well, yes, I passed them all." Yuki said, trying to sound indifferent, but his tone had a slight tinge of effect from Hanajima's ethics—which she now turned on me.

"And you."

I felt fear instinctively course through my veins.

"You have done well, too."

I nodded mechanically, too scared to find my voice.

A smile suddenly split on her face, "Isn't that pleasant."

I glanced over to Yuki who stole a look at me as well.

I heard Arisa's entertained voice, but I didn't make out the words. I had caught Yuki's eyes, and he didn't look away either. Neither of us did, unwilling to be the first.

So we were caught in each other.

Tangled, intertwined.

My mind involuntarily drifted to last night… the feeling of his warm skin slick with sweat against mine, his panting quick and pleasurable in my ear, his nails tearing my skin as they dragged down my back.

Oh hell—I quickly looked away from him. Not the place. Not the place.

I tried to concentrate on the voices—but I couldn't even differentiate from whom they were coming from. The only voice in my head was Yuki's.

I involuntarily slid my eyes closed.

I loved his voice.

It was silky, teasing and reassuring, calm and harsh, he was so comforting, and so dangerous.

He drove me insane—and I suddenly noticed the reason why I never sat beside him.

I felt like my blood was pulsing towards him, my body unconsciously aching to touch his.  
I let out a frustrated groan and slumped onto the table, my face in my arms.

Stupid…

"Honda-San, whenever you are ready to leave, Kyo and I will accompany you home." Yuki said in a polite voice, all prodding from his words forgotten from his courteous tone.

"Oh yes! I'm ready now!" Tohru said in remembrance, and I kept my face buried in my arms. Maybe I had been a bit too obvious…

"Eh, Tohru, thanks for coming!" Arisa said in evident gratefulness.

"Thank you so much for having me!" I peeked up to see Tohru's gushing expression, "I really had a lovely time, and you're place is so wonderful!"

Arisa laughed and waved a hand, "Nah, it's trash—but thank you!" she reached over and mused Tohru's hair.

"I shall gather your belongings." Hanajima rose from the table in inhumane grace and was gliding around the table to the only closed-off room in the apartment.

"Yo, Hana, don't give her any of my underwear!" Arisa called playfully and Yuki and I both cringed dolefully as her laugh rang through the air when she gathered the tea cups and walked over into the bedroom after Hanajima—no doubt to clean the dishes in the bathroom sink, since her 'kitchen' lacked one.

Tohru was giggling across the table from us, and at the sound I felt Yuki and I both calm down. It was good to know that she had a nice time in this shit hole—honestly, the smell was disgusting, and the dirty white walls looked like they had been pissed on.

"Alright, let's go!" Tohru pushed herself up from the table, and Yuki smoothly followed suit while I shoved myself back to my feet.

Hanajima came back out with an efficient bag that had a zipper, straps, everything. Tohru took it gratefully, slinging it over her shoulder with a grateful smile, "Thank you!"

Arisa came out behind Hanajima and wandered passed us, through the small entrance hall and pulled ruthlessly at the door before it opened, and held it for us with a hand triumphantly at her hip.

"Good day, Uo-san." Yuki nodded farewell as he slid passed her, me on his heels as I grunted for my goodbye.

"See ya, orangey!" Arisa ruffled my hair and I let out an odd noise and ducked out of her touch quickly, over the safety of the threshold and into the reeking hallway.

"Good bye! I'll see you soon!" Tohru said thankfully as Arisa pulled her into an embrace.

"Take care, kiddo!" She tugged her ponytails again before shifting her eyes to Yuki and I, "I'll be making sure she gets home untouched, alright, boys?"

"Hey, it's your own damn fault for livin' in a damn delinquent neighbourhood!" I barked in offence—and then Arisa had a fistful of my shirt and was pulling my face close to hers, staring daggers into mine.

"_You sayin' it's gonna be my fault when you run away like a coward instead of protecting Tohru?"_ Her voice was viciously threatening and venomous.

"We'll take care of her, Uo-san, thank you for inviting her over." Yuki was pulling me away from her grip and tugging me behind him as I felt my infuriation boil at a dangerous point.

"It's my turn next time." Hanajima said thoughtfully from the threshold before embracing Tohru, "Until then, Tohru, I shall keep watch over your waves."

Tohru clung to her tight before they separated, "Good bye! And thank you so much!" Tohru waved at them as Yuki and I wandered back a bit, eager to head back home and vacate the run-down place and the ill scent that churned my stomach.

We made our ways down the stairs, and Yuki held the door open for Tohru as I walked out behind her, holding the door open for myself even though Yuki did the same.

We followed Tohru down the steps to the sidewalk and took our ritual places beside her protectively as we guided her down the street; her spacey look ignorant to the edginess that Yuki and I both sensed from the ill-settling neighbourhood.

She easily sparked out a pleasant conversation, and Yuki and I both were able to relax considerably after leaving the street far behind. She gushed over every detail; starting at the minute her job ended to the second Yuki and I were waiting anxiously at the apartment door.

Through her excited voice, I stole a glance over to Yuki—as he looked back to me.

The corner of his lips gave a tug before he looked away, replying to the words Tohru spoke that I had missed.

**-End-**

**AN-** See--nothing too special. I'm a bit worn from writing my ass off for the last one, so I'm sorry if this one wasn't exciting.  
The excitement comes later. but for now, please **!Review!** be fabulous!


	52. Chapter 52

**AN-** ATTENTION: TO YOU WHO HAVE ALREADY READ THIS CHAPTER:

I took this down after posting it because... I just wasn't satisfied. It was too short, and honestly it didn't serve it's purpose. BUT I did not re-do this, I just extended it. So you've already read the first bit if you've read this before I took it down. If you go about halfway down, then you should be around the place where I added more onto the chapter. (Yuki's POV)  
I am so sorry for this, I just updated for the sake of updating, and I swear to never do it again.  
Please forgive, I often have to make a mistake before I learn from it.  
So now, since we're in such a high number of chapters, I will be having to make my chapters longer, and each one must have a defined purpose (other then build up...)  
So yes, hopefully this will be better.

**Chapter Fifty Two**

(Kyo's POV)

After Yuki and I had picked up Tohru and led her home, the three of us males offered our services with dinner—Shigure and I pushing Yuki insistently out of the kitchen before the meal was prepared, served, and finished.

The night went by without incident.

Yuki and I fell asleep with each other, per usual, and not without the absence of unnecessary eye contact.

The next day was uneventful:

Tohru had taken Yuki up when he offered to help with some of the house chores—probably realising how he sucked immensely at each one. With him busy, I decided to do something productive myself, and I took another trip to the Dojo.

I was able to pummel Haru with more technique then force. It was much easier to concentrate of my Martial Arts without Yuki jumping into my head and interrupting my attempt on different skills.

I came back home without rush, and took a shower.

I had stepped into the refreshing cool water, and the pelting droplets felt like stabbing razors against the scratch marks on my back. Yuki's nails were more dangerous and harmful then I thought, though I barely felt them when they were carving into my back, a little more preoccupied with other sensations.

That night also went by without incident.

And now I was sitting at the table, shoving a mouthful of Tohru's breakfast into my mouth and swallowing, grateful for her delightful cooking that didn't cost me money.

"So she got a new place, did she, now?" Shigure inquired curiously in reference to Arisa.

Tohru nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, and she was so nice to have Hana-Chan and I over!"

"Nice?" I scoffed, "You could've suffocated in that shit hole."

"Aw, Kyo-Kun, that's not nice!" Shigure swatted the rolled up news paper in my direction as I dodged it with a sneer, "She has a place to live! She's all set for when school is over."

"Oh yes! This year will be our last!" Tohru exclaimed in wonder, no doubt puzzled by how fast High School is going by.

And I was too.

More… disappointed then puzzled.

I felt Shigure's watchful gaze on me, and I quickly composed myself of anything that I was revealing with my expression. I shoved up from the floor, took my dishes, and left the dining room without a word.

I didn't want to think about next year.

It had… slipped my mind.

I washed my dishes absently, pooling in my disappointment before I decided to shove it aside—I haven't thought about it for a while, so why should I think about it now?

When done with my cleaning, I dried off my hands before tossing the towel aside, leaving the kitchen and ascending the stairs. I wandered through the hall and into my room without knocking, and shut the door behind me.

(Yuki's POV)

I rolled onto my stomach, feeling all sense of tiredness fleeing my mind, bringing my senses to life gradually, until I was sliding my eyes open and then squeezing them such again, my blurry vision unpleasant. I reached my hand over the pillow and rubbed at my eyes.

Then I heard footsteps, the door opening, and closing.

I looked up and saw Kyo meeting my gaze before approaching me, "You finally awake?"

"Mm." I nodded before pushing myself up to sit back on my heels, wrapping his sheets around me and stifling a yawn with them. Then I felt weight on the bed and opened my eyes to see Kyo sitting in front of me on the edge of the bed, locking his elbows and leaning back on his hands behind him.

My body, naturally drawn to his, leaned forward until I rested my forehead lazily on his shoulder, still too sleepy to contemplate anything.

I heard him snort, "I guess not."

"Nnn…" I felt my shoulders slump.

I was too comfortable, my mind started to slip from my grasp again, and I could feel myself lapsing back into my sleep…

"Hey, hey, don't fall asleep on _me_!" Kyo pushed me off of him, bringing me back awake as I opened my eyes to see him gazing at me with a furrowed brow, "You're kinda weird."

I scrounged my nose at him, too lazy to use my voice, and saw an amused grin tug at the corners of his lips.

I liked it when he smiled.

He didn't do it enough.

I frowned at him and reached out to touch his skin, my fingertips brushing against his cheek. I shifted my eyes back to his and they looked calm, comfortable. So I lifted my other hand, my fingertips trailing along the underside of his jaw. I placed both of my thumbs on the either side of his mouth, where dimples would be if he had any, and I stretched his face into a smile—

"Hey!" Kyo pulled my hands ruthlessly away from my face as I felt my own smile dominate my face, "Don't do that!"

I let out a small laugh at his reaction, unable to really compose myself due to my morning state—but I did notice how he still kept a hold on my hands, whether it was to make sure I didn't attempt morphing his face again, or some other reason that made me blush…

Kyo blinked at me as I tried to fight my blush, but all I could do was blink back at him.

"Alright, I'll rephrase that…" He raised an eyebrow at me, "You're _definitely_ weird."

I didn't know what expression I had on my face this time, my mind was often disconnected from my body in the morning, but it seemed to worry him and the panic was as evident on his face as it was in his voice: "I- I didn't mean that in a bad way!"

I frowned at him in evident confusion and he opened his mouth, and shut it again before furrowing his brow back at me.

He was rambling.

Why does he ramble to me in the mornings…

I can barely understand him when I'm attentive.

Then he bit his lip, and I knew he was trying to amend for something that I had missed in my unmindful state—and I was about to brush it off, until I felt the hand he had on mine move, and he placed his fingertips very carefully on my shoulder.

Before I could think about trying to figure out what he was thinking, his breath was on my face, and I naturally leaned forward, inhaling his scent, my body suddenly rippling into alertness as I felt his fingertips trail over to the skin of my neck—

A sudden knocking sounded against Kyo's door and we both pulled back abruptly as Tohru's voice sounded, "Kyo? Are you in there?"

I heard Kyo sigh, "One sec," He glanced back at me before pushing himself off the bed and wandering over to the door.

He slid it open, protectively guarding the view of his room with his body as he answered, "Yeah?"

"Well, I… I was um, just wondering if you… well, you and Yuki, that is—if you two would—"

"The hell is it?" Kyo said in impatience, and I pushed myself off his bed with a sigh before wondering towards the door—

"Oh, it was just—"

I pulled on Kyo's shirt, tugging him away from the door and taking his place. Tohru looked surprised to see me, and I gave her a gentle smile, "Hello, Honda-San."

"Good morning, Yuki!" She said pleasantly, her smile back in place—a familiar reassurance. "How are you?"

"I'm very well, and yourself?"

"I'm wonderful!" Tohru's smile was the usual extravagance, "Oh—and there is some breakfast downstairs for you,"

"Thank you,"

"I put it in the microwave so it wouldn't get cold!" She said proudly and I gave her another effortless smile of thanks.

"Was there something you were wanting, Honda-San?" I asked politely, and she immediately perked up in realization.

"Oh yes, there was," Tohru said, the nervousness catching back into her tone, "Um, well, I'm not trying to intrude on your day or anything…"

"Yes?" I prompted gently, keeping my lips a pleasant curve for reassurance.

"Do you want to come with me for a walk?" She blurted out quickly, a blush on her face, "You and Yuki—Kyo, I mean—I'm just heading to the Main House, I need to meet up with Haru over something…" She quickly looked down and fidgeted with her shirt, "Y-you don't have to come, I was just wondering, in case you two had nothing to do…"

"You don't know the way, do you?" Kyo's voice was blunt and expectant.

Tohru looked up with apologetic eyes and a shy smile, "N-not really, no."

"We'll gladly accompany you, Honda-San, it would be our pleasure." I said in a pleasant tone, and just as I hoped Tohru perked up immediately.

"Thank you so very much!" She gushed, "Please, take your time getting ready!"

"I shouldn't be too long," I said with appreciation before nodding to Tohru and slipping passed her, ready to get out of the house today.

(Kyo's POV)

I strolled along the sidewalk beside Tohru, Yuki on her other side, with the sun beating down on us. The heat from the sun was pleasant, and the sky was a clear blue, the only trace of clouds was thin translucent fluff drifting absently through the warm air high above us.

I was in a good mood—despite the fact that Tohru had interrupted Yuki and I this morning.

It was hard to pull back from Yuki when I was so close to kissing him—but I was, reluctantly, pretty practiced at it.

Yuki was holding an easy conversation with Tohru, like usual, and I kept quiet, just listening to their voices, ignoring the words.

It was easy for myself to wander into thought, I found…

After a while of walking, we finally rounded a corner that was lined by a tall wall, and approached the tall, looming entrance gate of the Main House.

I felt the cold of a familiar stubborn resilience rumble through me in reaction to the recognisable place.

I couldn't remember the last time I was here.

I was often only invited here when I was to be scolded.

I didn't realise that I was glaring or had tensed up my muscles until Tohru's voice brought me back out of my thoughts, and I immediately relaxed my body.

"Do you want me to go in and get him?" Yuki asked in a lit voice as we neared the gates, and Tohru opened her mouth to reply—but was interrupted by the doors suddenly opening—

"TOHRU!" A blur shot towards her, and I grabbed a fistful of it's clothing, jerking the body back as Yuki quickly pulled Tohru away.

"ARE YOU A FRICKN' _IDIOT?"_ I roared in incredulous frustration as Momiji tried to tug out of my grip of his extravagant clothing.

"Momiji, you can't keep doing that," Yuki said as I shoved him away from me.

"Tohru, Tohru, Tohru!" Momiji reached out slid his hand in hers with welcome, "How are you?"

Tohru blushed a smile, "I'm wonderful, thank you! I haven't seen you around for a while!"

"I know!" Momiji said in disappointment, "We should get together more often, do you want to, Tohru?"

She smiled brightly, "I would love that!'

He smiled back, and brought their interlocked fingers up to his chest and embraced her hand with both of his, "I would love that too!"

They smiled and each other and I looked away with an unpleasant look—Momiji was always so damn _affectionate._

I shoved my arms across my chest and leaned against the looming wall, basking in the shade, and assessed Momiji. He had gotten taller—much taller. He was nearly at eye-level with Tohru now, instead of only measuring up to her shoulder… he had grown a lot, I wondered if it was a sudden growth spurt, or if I had been too absent-minded to notice.

Despite the hot weather, Momiji was wearing a brown jacket that cut off at his elbows, accessorized by strapped buckles, pockets, and buttons, the collar curving around his neck. He had numerous bracelets slung around his right wrist, a cheap plastic watch hitched halfway up his forearm, and his other arm accessorized with a buckled wristband.

His golden hair shone in the brilliance of the sun, emphasising the few streaks of lighter, and darker blonde—but clipped in his blond hair was a flower, a contrasting blue.

Despite how much more mature Momiji looked, he still managed to cling to the same infantile indulgences.

I rolled my eyes.

"It's a nice day, isn't it, Tohru?" Momiji conversed enthusiastically, still not letting go of Tohru's hand, but she didn't mind in the slightest.

"It's wonderful! I love the summer!" Tohru said lightly, "You've really gotten taller, Momiji!"

"You've noticed!" Momiji seemed enticingly thrilled by her words.

"And you're flower is so pretty!" Tohru gushed, noticing the clip in his hair.

"You really like it?" Momiji questioned and Tohru nodded vigorously—a light sparked from Momiji, "Then you can have it!"

"Oh no, no, I couldn't take it!"

"Please do, it would look so pretty on you!" Momiji reached up and slid the flower from his hair, before sticking his tongue out in effort as he fixed it into Tohru's hair.

"There! You look beautiful!" Momiji gave her a flattering smile, and Tohru's blush was dominant.

"Thank you!" She had her hands to her face in attempts to hide her blush, but both her rosy cheeks and smile were evident.

"Good evening."  
I jolted in shock as Haru emerged from the gates as well, his eyes on Tohru, "You came."

Tohru's face lit up even more as she removed her hands from her face, "Hello Haru!"

"I told you to come and get me Momiji," Haru said, but his tone was casual and held no disapproval.

Momiji slid his hands into his pockets and let out a small laugh, "I'm sorry, I was just saying hi!"

Haru walked forward and slid his hand into Tohru's, "How are you?"

Tohru blushed, "I'm very good!"

Haru smiled back, "Would you like to come in?"

Tohru nodded enthusiastically, "Yes please!" She let Haru led her back through the gates, looking back over her shoulder to Momiji and offering a wave, "I'll be back!"

"Alright!" Momiji smiled, waving back enthusiastically—then the gates closed.

Momiji's hand stopped waving in the air… and he slid it back into his jacket, looking down with a small smile and rocking back on his heels.

"Tohru's right,"

Momiji looked over to Yuki who placed his willowing hand on his shoulder, "You have grown, Momiji."

The smile was back on his face, "Yes, I'm getting pretty tall now!" His smile broadened, "And maybe soon I'll be as tall as Haru!"

"Feh, don't get your hopes up, squirt." I commented—but was awarded with an exasperated look from Yuki, and became confused, "What, it's true! The hell are you lookin' at me for?"

"You shouldn't compare yourself to Haru, Momiji." Yuki said in a calm voice… and Momiji's smile turned a bit sad.

"I know." Momiji sighed.

"What the hell's your problem?" I interjected, completely confused at this situation, and agitated at my confusion since no one else seemed to be wondering just what the hell is going on.

Momiji looked up at me and smiled before rocking back on his heels, "I… kinda like Tohru."

I stared at him blankly…

"Honestly, cat, are you that stupid?"

I glared at Yuki, "Don't call me stupid!"

"Then stop being stupid." He retorted, but with more exasperation then venom.

"You're the stupid one!" I defended, "How the hell do you know what's goin' on?"

"Just because you're inexplicably unobservant doesn't mean that everyone else is."

"_You wanna say that again?"_ I raised my voice, but it didn't seem to faze him.

"Was my vocabulary too complex for you?"

Between our bickering, Momiji had been glancing back and forth between us—and without warning, a smile broke out on his face:

"Yuki, you're so pretty!" Momiji flung himself into Yuki in an elaborate embrace—

"_GET THE HELL OFFA HIM!"_ My reflexes were immediate, I had thrown Momiji off of Yuki while I possessively grabbed a hold of his waist and had pulled him against me in a territorial grip.

Momiji didn't look startled—instead, he was grinning, "Oh good, I thought you two had broken up!"

I blinked at Momiji, my agitation still coursing hot through my veins, being fuelled by Yuki's sharp retorts, "The hell you spewing?"

Momiji gave us a curious look; "I never believed it, when I first heard about you two. I still don't really understand." Momiji, placed his hands on his hips, assessing us with a smile, "But you two really seem close!"

"He's just a territorial _brute."_ Yuki said in offensiveness, shoving himself away from me while I glowered at him.

"You're the one puckering up to everyone in a damn five-step radius!"

Yuki glared at me, and I instantly felt my insides cringe from the dangerous look in his eyes.

"Look, _Cat."_ Yuki stepped towards me and I cautiously took a step back in cautious impulse, "Just because you avoid any type of human contact, doesn't mean it's not normal."

"I don't avoid contact!" I barked in defence.

"So stop accusing me of selling myself to everyone I happen to socialize with." Yuki's voice was offended and firm.

"You call that _socialising?"_ I shot, "You go rubbing off scents with everyone around you?"

"Oh no," Momiji giggled, but I ignored it.

"Well, if I'm not allowed to 'rub scents' with you, then _why not_?" He answered in a quick voice, unfazed, and painfully sharp voice.

I cringed at his words—that was true, wasn't it? I barely ever gave him any physical contact… I pushed my back against the wall, away from him, shoved my arms across my chest, and with a constant grumble from my throat, I slid down the wall, glaring in the opposite direction of Yuki.

I don't know why I rarely did it, why it was so hard for me to simply hold his hand, or have my arm around his waist casually, hug him in a greeting—it was all just…

It was all just so casual.

That's why.

I couldn't do it because it was _supposed_ to be simple.

Plus, it was just _stupid._

Yuki let out a sigh from above me, but I kept glaring down the street stubbornly.

"I'll be back," Momiji said in a whisper, and I heard him vacate the scene, going back into the concealment of the Main House.

My nostrils flared as I tried to calm down my anger—I would have loved to say that I was fuming at Yuki, but I was more infuriated with myself.

I was always so harsh to him.

So cold, so heartless… but the worst part was, I didn't make up for it.

I grinded my teeth together, my insides tightening with agitation.

Yuki—he was the kind of person who appreciated affection, who was deprived of love in his childhood…

I clenched my eyes tight together.

Was I just like them?

Just like everyone else?

I got what I needed from him, I would never ask for anything more from him… but I barely gave him anything back, I barely gave him what _he_ needed… I barely talked to him sincerely, not about what he gives me, and what I want to give him—and I barely even _showed_ it.

Why… why would he want to be with someone like me?

He doesn't—

I felt something on my knees and I looked over to see Yuki bending down in front of me, crossing his arms over my bent legs.

He gave me a curious look—and I tried to hide whatever could be revealed in my eyes.

I think I failed at that, too.

Yuki sighed and rested his cheek against his folded arms, gazing at me with a thoughtful, and almost apologetic look.

"Please don't be offended." He said quietly.

I looked away from him.

"I didn't mean it."

"Didn't mean what?" I tried to brush it off, but my voice was heavy and involuntarily sarcastic.

Yuki was silent for a moment, and that made me nervous—but he let out another sigh.

"I don't mind."

I looked back at him, confused at what he was getting at, but Yuki wasn't looking at me, his eyes were roaming the sleeve of my t-shirt.

"I don't mind… that you're not like Momiji." He tried to explain, "That you're not really… demonstrative."

I snorted at his vocabulary, and his lips twitched in a grin as well.

I searched his averted eyes, trying to gather the odd look in them—and then Yuki was speaking again,

"It… makes me appreciate it more." He said quietly, a near mumble, as he cast his eyes to the sidewalk we were sitting on, "So I don't mind, really."

I tried to fight it—I tried to fight it, I really did, but the blush was burning my cheeks in record timing, and I turned my face quickly in hopes to conceal it, even though Yuki wasn't looking at me.

"Whatever." I mumbled, trying to dismiss it without thought—but my innards started to swell and my cheeks grew warmer.

"Also, it would be kind of creepy." He added playfully, "and would _definitely_ take some getting used to."

The mood instantly lightened, and I couldn't restrain the tug at my lips, "Hell yeah."

I felt him tug at my hair—the sensation rippling through me subtly—and I turned back to him as he assessed my slight, reluctant grin.

"I could get used to you smiling more, though." He said gently with his own slight grin.

"Was that what brought on this morning?" I questioned with an incredulous eyebrow raised.

Yuki let out a small laugh, "I was still asleep," he said in excuse.

It was—so easy.

Being with him.

Being… happy with him.

The cage in my mind rattled viscously, the wild, dangerous feeling I locked away a few morning's ago trying desperately to be freed—I tightened my arms around my tensing chest and looked away from Yuki, closing my eyes and concentrating on keeping it locked up while I clenched my teeth together.

"Kyo…?"

I relaxed, the feeling still chained and shoved back, and looked back at Yuki, his eyes tired.

"I _would_ like it if you didn't cringe away from me." He said with a slight tug of his lips, but the playfulness wasn't in his eyes, "It makes me feel a bit repulsive."

I assessed him with a frown, "You're not repulsive."

He grinned, and his eyes showed sincerity, "That's nice to hear."

And then he was pushing himself up on his feet, "C'mon, they'll be a while. Let's go for a walk." He tugged at my hair.

I looked up at him, and he gave me an encouraging smile.

I shoved myself back up onto my feet, and Yuki was walking ahead, willing me not to stale as I fell quickly into step with him.

(Yuki's POV)

"Why do you always grab my shirt?" I said in disapproval, tugging at his hand with mine, "I have a _hand_ for that, you know."

Kyo had characteristically snatched a fistful of my clothing in attempt to pull me around a sharp corner I hadn't noticed, too lost in thought to keep tabs on the labyrinth he's created out of the city blocks.

He gave me a reproachful look—then he sighed.

"Fine," He let go of my fabric and quickly enclosed his fingers around my wrist, tugging me along more instantly now, eyes completely avoiding mine, "Happy?"

I slowed us down, refusing to march along with him before sliding my wrist out of his grip, and curling my fingers around his, a little confident at his pitiful attempt at affection, my voice was mockingly appreciative, "Yes, very much, thank you."

He glanced at me, and I saw his blush forming before he could look away—"Whatever."

Though his body language seemed a bit hostile, I felt his fingers wrap around mine.

I didn't understand. He was always fine with making contact with me when we were alone, locked away, with no one but each other. I didn't know why he never seemed confident with me around people. I didn't get it, and really, it bothered me a bit.

I knew it wasn't because he didn't want to, and I knew it didn't bother him whenever I made the first move, so why was he like this? I can never predict his behaviour now; he's always throwing different confusing things at me for my mind to burst over.

I would think, almost immediately, that the reason why he didn't like showing affection to me in public was because he was embarrassed to be with me, the 'Prince'. He didn't like being like everyone else, he was always trying to prove himself different, genuine to me.

So was that it?

If that were it, then wouldn't he shy away from any contact I gave him? Wouldn't he have thrown my hand away instead of returning my hold? Or was he just being polite? I almost snorted out loud at thought; Kyo was never one to put effort into etiquette. Plus, He was too territorial to be embarrassed over me.

He always seemed uncertain, in a sense, whenever he would show me affection in the open—he's been closer to me, if it was merely just standing, or sitting, Kyo wasn't as distant as he used to be. I almost felt like he wanted to make some kind of contact with me, that kind of thickness was in the air, to show everyone that we were more then just two guys wandering down the street together.

Maybe he didn't want to upset me. Whenever he's made a territorial gesture with me, I would get mad at him. Maybe he felt like I didn't want him to show anything close to possessiveness with me.

I looked at him and he was gazing straight ahead, his fingers warm, not loosening their grip on mine.

I guess I was being a bit confusing for him.

Always barking at him whenever he pulled me away from someone who's being a bit overly friendly, and being hostile towards him about being so distant with me.

So which one is it?

I stopped.

Kyo didn't notice until our interlocked hands kept him from going any further from me, and he turned around curiously. He gave me a questioning look.

I assessed him with my eyes, trying to figure it out.

"What's up?" He asked, his eyes cautious and questioning.

I kept my eyes on him, trying to understand… and I think I did, "Is it me?"

His eyes were confused, and surprised at my sudden words, "What?"

I tilted my head to the side a bit, still contemplating, "Does it really matter to you?"

Kyo sighed, "Look, you're not making any sense—"

"If you don't like being with me publicly, then at least tell me."

I was surprised myself to see his shock on his face—but it quickly turned to irritation, "What the hell are you talking about? Are you stupid?"

I sighed, looking away, and tried to tug my hand from his, but he had a suddenly firm grip around my fingers.

"Hey—Hey, look at me,"

He was in front of me now, and I kept my eyes averted in agitation. Honestly, why couldn't he just say it, it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Yuki…?" His free hand rested tentatively on my arm.

"Just tell me, it's not like it would be shocking." I said indifferently, still not meeting his eyes.

"It's not like that."

I looked back at him and raised an eyebrow.

He frowned at me, "It's not."

"Then what's it like." I challenged, trying again to tug my hand from his, but failing.

Kyo hesitated, seemingly trying to back paddle—and then he let out a sigh, leaned forward, and rested his head against my shoulder, "I just don't get it."

I blinked, and his hand rested at my elbow, "Get what?"

There was silence, and I felt the air swirl as he tried to find the right words to use. I sighed, bringing my other hand up and placing it against his arm, trying to push him away, "It's fine, Kyo, stop sulking."

"I don't get why you would want…" he hesitated for a second, "…why you would want to be with me."

A wave of shock washed through me, but he continued, "And why you would be alright with everyone knowing."

I frowned, still shocked, and gathered my voice, "What are you talking about?"

I felt his fingers tremble against mine, "I'm the _cat_, Yuki."

I let out a sigh of exasperation but he continued, "You're the goddamn Prince of the school, the important _rat_—what good am I gonna do for you?"

"_Ugh,_ Stop it!" I shoved him away with enough force to succeed and I glared at his guarded, and defensively sincere eyes, "Could you not be an idiot for _one second?"_

Kyo looked away from me and I grabbed onto his hair and pulled his face back to my direction, "Is that what we are about? _Social ranks?"_

"Jesus, _no,"_ He said defensively.

"Then stop acting like it!" I fumed, "You're getting on my nerves!"

"You don't think _I'm_ pissed?" He asked in a harsh voice, throwing my hand from his hair, "It's so damn complicated being with you!"

"No it's not!" I shoved him back and approached him again, grabbing onto his shirt, "It's only complicated when you involve _everyone else in the world!"_

"Who says I'm doin' that?" Kyo's voice was defensive and sharp.

"You're the one complicating things." I accused and Kyo glared at me, "Honestly, you make me feel like you think I want to be with someone different."

This time, Kyo's eyes didn't glare at me—instead, he looked away completely, crossing his arms over his chest.

I narrowed my eyes, "Oh, is that really it?"

"Really what."

I clenched my hands into fists in agitation and disbelief, "You stupid moronic cat!"

He returned his eyes to me and then back away. I let my agitation come out, "Haven't I made it clear enough that I like being with _you?"_

Kyo shifted, not answering.

I shoved at his shoulder, making him look at me, "Do you think I'd just _'sleep'_ with anyone?"

He knew I didn't mean 'sleep' in the literal tense from the blush forming on his cheeks below his reluctant eyes.

"I don't care about everyone else!" my voice was sharp as I tried to get across to him, "I don't care about what they think! I'm not with you because of _them!"_

Kyo was silent, but his eyes were desperate as I continued, "I'm not with you because you're the cat! I'm not here because of what _they_ tell me!" I grabbed at the hem of his shirt, "I don't want to hold your hand so that other people can see! I don't want to kiss you to prove that you're mine!" My voice had infuriation in it, but it didn't mask the desperation, "I don't want anything to change because of everyone else, they don't matter when I'm with you!"

A blush was tinting Kyo's cheeks as he stared at me. After a moment of calming myself, I reached up, timidly brushing my fingers into his soft, thick orange hair, "They don't matter."

_Not when I'm with you._

His eyes were searching mine desperately, and I watched him carefully, "So stop being stupid."

I meant to brush off the whole thing, not wanting to pull him to the point of fainting or anything, but then I felt his fingertips sliding on the skin of my neck. I watched as he searched my eyes silently, and I effortlessly kept them gentle—

Kyo slid his hand over my cheek as he leaned in closer, and brushed his lips with mine.

I felt electricity surge through my body with victory—had I gotten through to him? I felt pride sweep in my veins, it was hard to get things through to him, I'm glad I finally did.

I was beginning to feel like Kyo was starting to trust me.

I returned his subtle kiss, slow but responsive, tracing my fingers through his radiant orange hair. How could he think so little of himself? He was magnificent in my eyes, a vibrant aura, a brilliant colour, an over-powering light.

I pulled back from his soft lips, and looked at his gentle eyes.

Was it wrong? Feeling so compelled to him? Wanting, more then anything, to show him how proud I am to be by his side?

Could he ever understand? Would he ever let himself understand?

"Well, this is over-whelming."

Kyo and I broke apart abruptly at the sudden voice, whirling around to see Haru standing a few steps away with Tohru.

"We were just out to find you," Haru explained, "Should we come back later?"

I sighed, despicably used to this scenario, "No, we got lost."

"Oh, I see." Haru walked forward, "Kyo, you're blushing."

"I AM NOT!"

A smile was across Haru's face, "Did I embarrass you?"

"YOU'RE _IRRITATING ME!"_

"Kyo, stop shouting." I said in exasperation.

"No, that's a blush, alright." Haru was inspecting Kyo's infuriated face, a sceptic look on his own, "You know, that's all you do around Yuki, blush like a twelve-year-old gir-"

Haru couldn't finish the sentence, because in a blurring flash, Kyo's fist was drawing back before he threw it forward and I stepped away as the sound of knuckles hitting cheekbones cracked through the air, Kyo's fist sending Haru stumbling backwards.

"Oh no don't fight please!" Tohru begged, her hands covering his mouth, eyes wide with fear.

I stepped forward, grabbed Kyo's shirt and yanked him behind me, "Haru, you shouldn't let your guard down when you're pulling things like that."

"Hmm… perhaps not." Haru straightened, running his fingers thoughtfully over the red skin of his cheek where Kyo punched him—then Haru blinked, as if just noticing that we were all here.

He turned to Kyo, "Why is it always my cheek?"

Kyo tugged out of my grip with a scoff, "Cuz you don't use enough defence, you're just a flailing goose when you fight!"

Haru furrowed his brow, "I resent that."

"No, you _resemble_ that!"

I sighed as Haru, in his indifferent voice and seemingly uninterested expression, tossed another comeback at Kyo, who followed swiftly with a fast retort. I moved away from the two as they continued bickering and walked over to Tohru who was standing a few steps away, a worried look gracing her face.

When her eyes fell on me, I gave her a small smile, "I'm sorry, Kyo and I were just trying to find our way back to meet you, and we got a bit lost."

"Oh n-no, no, it's alright, I had a really nice walk with… Haru…" In distraction, Tohru looked back at Haru and Kyo who were still, safely, using their mouths instead of their fists to brawl.

"Don't mind Kyo, he couldn't faze Haru with a single punch." I reassured her, "It takes a lot to get a rise out of Haru."

"I know, but he's a bit scary when he turns Black." Tohru said, a little uncomfortable with using the casual terminology for Haru's violent side.

"He wouldn't hurt you, Honda-San." I reassured her, "He's actually a bit harmless—In fact, he resembles Kyo when he turns Black."

Tohru gave a small laugh, the nervousness still evident in the sound, so I tried to change the subject, "So, what were you and Haru up to?"

She looked back at me, as if just recalling something, "Oh yes! Actually, I met up with Haru for you and Kyo!"

I blinked at her, a bit confused, "Oh?"

"Yes, yes!" She said earnestly, suddenly enthusiastic, "I wanted to do something for you two, and Haru offered to help!"

I was intrigued now, "Really? Can you tell me now, or is it a surprise?"

Tohru bit her lip, "It's nothing special, I just wanted to do something,"

I gave her an encouraging smile, "Anything you have to give is special, Honda-San."

She blushed at this, and my sincere encouragement worked, "I reserved you and Kyo a trip to the Hot Springs."

"A trip to the Hotsprings?" I repeated with the absence of Kyo and Haru's bickering.

"Yes! This weekend! Since you both missed the last one!"

"It really was alright, I didn't mind in the slightest." I said with a smile.

"Um… you can see it as a gift!" Tohru suggested, "For all of us passing our exams!"

I laughed, "So will you be coming too, then?"

"Oh no, no, I'm working all week!" Tohru said enthusiastically, "But it would really make me happy if you two went! I felt so bad that you missed the last one."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Kyo leaning against the wall of a building, Haru coaxing him into a conversation.

"I asked Haru if he would help me arrange it."

I looked back to Tohru, and she smiled, "Because, you know, it's the Sohma's Hotsprings."

"I hope it wasn't much trouble."

"No, he just needed to see if anyone had reserved it." Tohru said, "He told me that it would be free for you, since you're both Sohma's, but if it isn't I'll pay for you!"

I shook my head with a smile, "No, it's free for us, but thank you… You should come, too, Honda-San." I reached over and captured a strand of her hair, "I would enjoy you're company as well."

She blushed a smile, "Thank you so much, but I really must be working."

"Alright," I smiled at her and glanced back to see Kyo watching me with careful eyes. I turned and approached him and Haru, "You're more sly then I give you credit for." I said to Haru who smirked at me.

"Tohru brought it up when I was walking her home from work." He explained, "You missed a good weekend, though, it'll probably be too hot when you go."

"Go where?" Kyo said, his voice slightly agitated in his confusion.

"Tohru got us reservations to the Hot Springs." I told him casually, "Since you stole our chance last time."

"Shigure comes over here every now and then."

I looked over to Haru at the sudden change of subject, and he had a pensive look on his face, "Yes, actually, he's been here a lot… It's quite mysterious."

"Everything's a frickn' mystery to you." Kyo interjected, abruptly cutting through the mysterious air that had drifted down from Haru, "And how the hell did that come up?"

"It's not unusual for Shigure to go to the Main House, Haru." I said, brushing the subject aside.

But Haru still persisted, "No, he comes more then he used to. Hatori and Shigure have both been quite involved with Akito, lately."

"Knock it off." Kyo crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall, "No one here gives a damn."

A small, rattling grumble came from Haru's stomach, and all three of us stared at it.

"I'm hungry." Haru said, as if it surprised him.

"It is past lunch," I said, looking up at the sun that had cleared a far distance across the sky, and I looked over to Tohru, "Honda-San, do you want to head back now?"

"Oh yes! We should definitely get going," She said as she joined the group.

"I will be off, then." Haru bowed, and made to leave, until Tohru suddenly piped up, reaching out uncertainly—

"H-hey, Haru, do you want to come back with us?"

"_WHA??"_

Haru ignored Kyo, "It is alright, I should get back to Momiji."

"He can come over too!" Tohru said insistently, "We would love to have you both over for dinner! I'll make something you two like!"

I know how hard it was to deny Tohru when she seemed so excited to spend time with you, so it was no surprise that a smile spread across Haru's face, "Alright. Let's go get him."

Tohru eagerly joined up with Haru as he turned his body to leave, and I also made to go after him, when I felt Kyo's hand slip into mine.

I looked back at him as he gazed at me, his other hand slung in his pocket, his back still lazily leaning against the wall behind him.

"You two coming?"

I looked back to Haru, curling my fingers around Kyo's, "We'll meet up with you two back at the house."

Haru didn't need any further prompting, and he tugged at Tohru's hair, and she waved at us, "See you soon!" She fell into step with Haru and rounded the corner.

I turned back to Kyo to see that he was watching me with curious eyes, and I was about to speak when his exhausted voice sounded, "Haru _and_ Momiji?"

"It won't be that bad." I insisted, stepping closer to him, "Tohru will keep them preoccupied."

"So when are we going?" he asked, and I assumed he was talking about the Hot Springs.

"The weekend," I said simply, and felt Kyo tug at my hand as I invaded his personal space, "You wont have to worry about Haru or Momiji then."

"Just us?" He asked, and I felt my stomach flutter at his words.

I slid my hand on the wall beside his body, and leaned forward, momentarily pausing to feel how close we were before pressing my lips against his.

"Yeah, just us."

"Alright," Kyo pushed himself off of the wall and tugged me along with him as we set out into the streets once more, keeping his fingers laced through mine.

The sun bathed us in light the entire way home.

_How can they matter…_

_When I'm with you?_

**-****End****-**

**AN-** So it was longer! And has more purpose. I made the second half of this Chapter 53, but then I noticed how both 52+53 were short, so I knew I needed to combine them. I'm sorry for any inconvenience I have caused.  
But please, **!Review!** (You dont have to if you've already reviewed before I took this down, that was my fault!)


	53. Chapter 53

**AN-** I wont be here for a while, so here you go.

READ THE LAST CHAPTER

i expanded it! there's more now, I just added on to it, so have a gander if you didn't know.

**Chapter Fifty Three**

(Yuki's POV)

It was nice, having the house so alive.

Haru and Momiji knew how to make the place seem quite lived in, and Tohru was simply ecstatic to have two of her favourite zodiac members gobbling down her carefully prepared meal. Kyo sat beside me instead of across the way, perhaps as a precaution in case Haru felt like he needed to get even with Kyo for the bruise on his cheek.

Shigure was also just as flamboyant over hosting, chattering pointlessly through mouthfuls of food. I felt Kyo's shoulder twitch with agitation every time Shigure rambled about something ridiculous, or when Haru would robotically comment on anything without obvious reason, or when Momiji would show his usual enthusiasm. I would just grin in amusement.

Kyo's been showing more self-restraint with himself in a lot of different ways, and I wonder if it's just always been there and he just hasn't cared to show it, or if I've helped build his tolerance.

At some points Kyo would curl his hands into fists on his thighs underneath the table, looking like he's just about to explode, so I would brush his fingers with mine in teasing reassurance—and it seemed to work, his agitated eyes would spring up to mine in distraction, and I would give him a smirk and go back to the conversation.

I didn't exactly want to be around when Kyo's pent-up anger exploded.

So when dinner was done, I eagerly stood up and helped Tohru clear the dishes and wash them, Haru faithfully up for the labour, and Momiji conversing pleasantly with Shigure. Haru joined in with the conversation Tohru and I had easily started, and soon we were talking about when the summer would be over. The first month of our vacation was already halfway gone, and even though it wasn't a very long time, it was longer then I had thought. Time really was passing me by.

Tohru handed me another cleaned plate and I ran it under the water thoroughly before handing it to Haru who held the dishtowel. A bright laughter erupted from the dining room, and I wondered if it were possible for Momiji to not show his enthusiasm for life, it was a reassuring.

When we finished the dishes, Tohru escorted Haru and Momiji to the door to say good-bye since the sun was beginning to set, concerned for their trip home despite their relaxed reassurance. I only waved and left the kitchen, heading upstairs. I tapped on Kyo's door, peeking inside to see it's vacated space, and knew where he was. I wondered down the hall and pushed open a door, stepping out onto the platform where Tohru did the laundry. I climbed up the short ladder and pushed my body up onto the roof.

I approached Kyo, who was lying on his back, hands laced behind his head, but not seemingly at ease.

"Can I join you?" I asked unnecessarily, already lacing my legs and sitting beside him. He looked over to me and I kept his eyes for a moment before looking out. The day had passed by easily when Haru and Momiji were visiting, the clocks catching their eccentric behaviour.

"They're gone now, you know." I said casually.

Kyo scoffed, "Yeah, for how long."

"They don't come that often."

"They come often enough."

"You know…" I looked down at him curiously, "You're really anti-social."

"Really?" He asked with mockingly incredulous, "Jut figured that out, did you?"

I frowned at him, "It surprises me."

"Can't all be social butterflies." Kyo muttered.

He didn't really seem to be all that into the conversation, but I was really intrigued by this fact. I scrutinized him, as if the answer would appear on his face if I looked hard enough… but that theory didn't work, "Why not?"

"Why not what?"

"Why don't you like people?" I asked curiously, unsure if that was the right way to word it.

"Why should I?" He said with casual stubbornness, "They don't like me, moot point."

I chuckled at him, "Are you serious? People _flock_ to you."

He looked up at me now, rising and incredulous eyebrow and curling his lip in disgust "_Flock?"_

"Not _literally."_ I said slowly for him, "I meant they… are drawn to you."

"Teh, yeah right." Kyo scoffed, "Who cares if their acting like a bunch of ducks."

"Stop being stupid," I hit his head, "Do you do that on purpose?"

Kyo scowled at me, wrinkling his nose, but made no other reaction, so I continued, "You attract people, I see it all the time."

He blinked up at me, "No, it just seems like that cuz I'm with you."

It was my turn to scowl at him; "I noticed it _before_ the earth stopped rotating."

He grinned, "Nah, it just went in reverse."

"Alright, whatever the earth's doing, you're like the centre of gravity in a room." I said easily, "People are just compelled to you."

"Centre of gravity?" Kyo snorted, "That's a bit _extreme_."

I shrugged, "You're extreme."

He looked at me for a moment, scrutinizing my expression… "Am I the centre of _you're_ gravity?"

I looked at him, his curious eyes, intent gaze, and in all honestly I answered with a smile, "Extremely."

I loved it, being able to tell him the truth, but have him think I'm teasing him. Kyo narrowed his eyes at me and looked up at the sky, but he didn't seem irritated.

I wonder where all his anger went.

I looked at him—so what was it exactly? That had people tripping over each other for him? The first reason was obvious—the brilliant colour of his vibrant hair. He stood out in a crowd, the breaking sun through morning clouds. It was impossible not to be drawn to such a vivacious colour. But after a few minutes of being around him, you can't help but be astounded by how he's just as effervescent as his bright hair and powerful eyes.

Maybe it was the casual aura about him, though the hostile air he emitted often obscured it… but that might have just been around me. He was just so obviously laid back, yet his behaviour was so eccentric and exaggerating, his odd character was so forceful. Like so many others, I found amusement in toying with his mind, to try and see what kind of reaction I would get. He was _interesting_. Captivating, entrancing, compelling, vibrant, lively, he _glowed._

There was a blinding light about him, a scorching brightness, a brilliant shine.

Kyo was a reincarnation of the sun.

Furious, bright, fiery, beautiful, radiant and _alive._

Even in the darkness of his hate, I was still amazed by him.

"You know… you tilt the world on your own."

I brought myself back to the rooftop and looked down at him again as he gazed at the dimming sky. He continued, "You've got everyone like putty in your hands, and you don't even realise it, do you?"

"You're exaggerating." I said, "I'm the student council president, of course they'll hear me out, but I don't have any more effect then that."

Kyo looked up at me like he didn't believe what I was saying, "Alright, you can't call me stupid anymore if you're gonna be like that."

"Be like what?"

"Um… _stupid?"_

I sighed, "Kyo… it's not the same, don't compare yourself to me."

"Why not?" Kyo said in quick competition.

I looked over to him, "People are drawn by _everything _about you."

He raised his eyebrow when I didn't continued, "And…?"

"And it's not like that with me."

"You're such a baby." Kyo said, with no aggravation, "Stop acting like that, it bugs me."

I lay back to join Kyo, gazing up at the darkening sky. I didn't comment, so he continued.

"You know what people like about you?" He started, "There's just sumthin' about you, it's kind of unnatural, you're not like everyone else."

I scoffed, "That's fantastic, thank you." I love hearing about how obviously unnatural I am.

"No, look, it's kinda hard to explain…" I looked over to see Kyo frowning in concentrating before trying again, "You're really… secretive, you got this really… Nnn, mysterious air about you, I dunno." He cringed at the word.

I blinked at him, "_Mysterious air_?" I rolled my eyes, "Nice one."

"Could you shut up and let me talk?"

I hid a grin.

"Alright, so, like I was _saying."_ Kyo said in disapproval of my interruptions, "You're really _majestic_ in their eyes, just the way you look, the way you hold yourself, you're almost like smoke, or fog, or sumthin'." He sounded contemplative, "You got the looks, but it's how you isolate yourself that has everyone so interested in you. You're this huge big frickn' mystery that no one can figure out."

He glanced at me, "You're always so calm and composed, crap like that… everyone wants a piece of you, they all wanna know more about you, get under your skin, y'know?"

"So that's how it is." I said, trying to hide my mocking tone, and Kyo caught it instantly, already so familiar with me.

He gave me a smirk, "You're a really interesting guy."

"So that's what people like about me?" I said incredulously, not bothering to hide how unconvinced I had been, despite his measurable eyes and the tone of sincerity hidden in his voice.

He shrugged, "That's what _I'm_ guessing."

I sighed. That really sucked, in my perspective. Everyone thought I was interesting because they don't know anything about me—and the reason they don't know anything about me is because I'm completely dull, and I don't want anyone to know it.

"D'you wanna know what _I_ like about you?"

He got my attention and I involuntarily looked at him with earnest eyes, and with a grin he continued, "I like you because… well, because it was the complete opposite for me."

"What was?"

"Well, at first…" His voice slunk into perceptiveness, "At first, I thought I knew everything there was about you. I thought I knew you inside and out." He paused for a moment, contemplating while looking at me, "But… you threw me completely off balance. You totally twisted everything around on me," He frowned, "It _really_ pissed me off, cuz I got so damn confused all the time, and it was all over _you_. It was so frickn' irritating, you have _no_ idea."

The corners of my lips tugged, "Don't I?"

He snorted and rolled his eyes up to the sky, and he spoke again, "There's more… but the rest is a secret."

"A secret?" I repeated incredulously and he looked over to me and nodded solemnly—I scoffed and shoved his face away, "You're ridiculous."

"You can't say anything," Kyo defended against my denying expression, "Cuz that's how I see it, and I know more then you do."

"Hell would freeze over before you know more then I do."

"Well, the world's already shifting gravity and going backwards, so why not destroy Hell while we're at it?"

I grinned, "Where does that put us?"

He scrunched up his nose, "I dunno… heaven?"

"Heaven…" I murmured.

Who knew if it existed.

"Or you know, we could just be floating particles in an endless abyss."

"Not to be too optimistic or anything."

Kyo grinned at me in response.

We were silent for the next few minutes, giving the slight twilight breeze a chance to converse with the leaves. The sun was now consumed by the greedy horizon, the evading glow dispersing from the lacing clouds, which also began to dissolve as the night took its reign.

I knew why Kyo came up here when he was angry, or irritated. The calming expansion of the endless sky was tranquil in the disconcerting feeling of insignificance it bestowed on us. Our problems, our lives, our existence was so trivial, so human compared to the prevailing immortality of the timeless sky.

"Yuki…"

"Hn?" I said through my serenity.

I felt the tight hesitation emit from Kyo, and after I heard him shift beside me, I glanced over to him, "Yes?"

He furrowed his brow uncertainly, keeping his eyes cast to the sky, and I waited patiently.

"If I…" He started, "…If I ask you to do something for me, will you?"

I was instantly cautious, but dominantly curious, "Like what?"

He shifted, pushing himself into a sitting position, resting his forearms on his bent knees as he glared off into the distance.

I waited.

He ran a hand through his hair slowly, "Don't… go to the Main House without me."

I tilted my head in curiosity… and then I sighed, "Kyo, you don't have to get—"

"I'm not." He said instantly, cutting me off. I bit back my tongue, and he let out a frustrated sigh, his hand resting at the back of his neck, "Look, I just… don't want you going there without telling me, alright?"

I rolled my eyes, "You're not my _mother_, Kyo."

"I'm not acting like your damn mother!" His voice was instantly irritated and edgy as he shot a glare at me.

"What are you so worried about?" I challenged.

He narrowed his eyes, "Well, obviously, I should be worried if you don't wanna _tell me."_

"Maybe I don't want to tell you because it doesn't concern you." I said casually.

Kyo's eyes were in slits, and he shifted, turning his body so he could rest a hand beside me, and then another on my other side until he was looming over me.

I had nowhere to look but in his insistent, temperate red eyes, trying to persuade me effectively as he held himself above my body.

"Don't get grouchy." He said, "You don't have to, I was just asking."

He was over-reacting. Nothing would happen at the Main House, if I ever felt the need to go back there it would be a harmless trip. So there was no need in telling him, getting him worked up.

I watched as his calm nature emitted in softening waves from him.

He was just concerned; he didn't want to get blamed for anything. He was blamed for enough; I could understand why he didn't want anything from me put on his shoulders. Besides, it's not like he'd come bursting through the gates with samurai swords strapped on his chest and waist with a medieval helmet… or anything Kyo-like.

"Alright." I agreed with an absent voice, "It wouldn't matter anyway."

"No, it wouldn't." He agreed, but I could see the satisfaction in his warm red eyes as he gazed back at me from above.

The night was cascading over us, calming the roar of Kyo's vibrant hair, and softening my outlook on everything. The air was cooler, not as hot, but still moderately warm. I could easily fall asleep up here, if it weren't for the firm roof underneath my back.

Kyo slowly brought his face down to mine and showed me his appreciation.

(Kyo's POV)

"Yuki?"

"Nnn…"

"Yuki, get up."

Yuki buried his face further into my pillow with a disgruntled noise.

I frowned and nudged his side, "Wake up."

Yuki slid one of his hands out from underneath the pillow to try and get me to quit my insistence. I curled my fingers around his wrist and put my mouth to his ear, "Get up, Yuki."

"Go away." He mumbled, his voice muffled from the pillow and his sleepy state.

I was restless, bored, I was a fuelled sports car, revved and yearning to gas it. I shifted so I was practically on top of Yuki's sleeping back and I tried again, "It's almost _noon."_

Yuki shifted, his face turning slightly to peek at the clock—and the he groaned and shoved his face back into the pillow, "It's _seven thirty."_

I grinned, "Close enough."

"Nnn…"

I frowned, "Why the hell are you tired?"

"Cuz you _kept me up last night?"_

"Like hell I did." I scoffed.

"You were talking in your _sleep, Baka."_ Yuki's voice was disgruntled and slurred with tired haze.

I grimaced, "Was not."

"Was too."

I rolled my eyes, "Who cares."

Yuki grunted, still refusing to humour me. I glared down at him… "Okay, what did I say then?"

He let out a frustrated sigh, "Sumthin' 'bout particles an' th' north… hemisphere…"

I waited for more, but he had no doubt fallen asleep again. I scrunched up my nose, "You're fault! Get _up!"_

"What do _you want?"_ Yuki growled, "Let me _sleep!"_

"I wanna do something, lets go somewhere," I ranted, resting my chin on his shoulder and gazing out my window to the sun that welcomed me through stiff, refining glass.

"Do sumthin' then." He slurred.

I wrinkled my nose, "No fun doing it alone."

"I'll go with you later…" his voice was faint, he was drifting away again.

He wasn't going to be any fun if he was fainting everywhere, so I sighed in defeat, "Fine."

Yuki's sigh was in relief.

I glanced at my door… what should I do, then?

"Don't go." I said in his ear, and he shifted, flipping his fist up on the pillow and giving me a thumbs-up.

I laughed shortly at him, amused by his untidy state. I pushed myself off of him, getting on my feet on the floor.

I glanced back at him.

I grinned—'prince', my ass.

(Yuki's POV)

I was hungry.

That's what woke me up.

I groaned before stretching my body, and relaxing with a content sigh. I was glad Kyo found it in his heart to let me sleep in more—of course, if he didn't, I would have knocked his teeth in to shut him up. He was always so energetic, how did he manage it.

I pushed myself over onto my back, and slid my eyes open before shielding them against the blinding sun that was streaming through Kyo's opened window. The warm summer air drifted into his room, waking up my senses with its fresh scent and bright insistence.

I heard the door open—and I looked over and saw Kyo close the door behind him.

"That didn't take long." He said in a sarcastic voice, his hair a darker shade of orange from it's dampened state as Kyo tossed his towel off his shoulder and into the laundry basket against his wall.

"What, do you have hour-long showers?" I replied to his mocking.

His grin was pronounced, "I went for a run, then I had a shower."

"Good, I don't wanna put up with your ridiculous energy." I sat up and rubbed the back of my neck, which was aching slightly from my long sleep.

"Yup. Two hour's worth."

I looked back at him, "You were running for _two hours?"_

His smile was triumphant, "Hell yeah, it felt so damn good!"

I rolled my eyes—he was probably exaggerating… though, I could believe it, seeing as it was Kyo and his over loading amount of stamina.

"So…"

Kyo was in front of me, a hand casually on his hip as he assessed me. I slid my legs off the bed and tugged at his shirt, keeping him in between my knees as he looked down at me.

"You wanna go out for lunch?" He asked casually.

I looked up at him, remembering my hunger, "Yeah, I'm starving."

"You should be." His hand drifted away and he tapped his alarm clock, "_Now_ it's noon."

I sighed; I had to stop sleeping in so late.

"C'mon," Kyo grabbed my hand and pulled my up from the bed, "Catch up on your sleep this weekend, I'm hungry."

"Alright, give me five minutes." I said before stifling a yawn as I wondered past Kyo.

I had almost forgotten about this weekend from the frantic event of having Haru and Momiji over for dinner.

I exited Kyo's room, walked across the hall and escaped into my room.

I was actually quite relieved that we had an escape for this weekend, sticking around all the other Sohma's was getting a bit bothersome with everyone always looking at us with confused or disapproving glances, like any second Akito would come bursting through the door and create chaos.

I supposed I was getting anxious over it myself, but I was always a little too practiced at repressing unpleasant emotions, bottling them up and ignoring them until they overflowed. But it was so easy to forget all my anxieties and worries when I was with Kyo, rolling my eyes at his immaturity, grinning at his reactions, shooting back at his remarks, and trying to keep my blush down from his radiant gaze.

I was really just looking forward to relaxing, though my body wasn't tired—my mind's been hammering me off the door. My subconscious wasn't going easy on me either; my night's weren't as peaceful as they once were when I started sleeping with Kyo. They were still indisputably much more appreciated then the nights alone in my room, which I have abandoned for well over a month now… so I had nothing to complain about.

I dressed routinely, brushed my teeth of my morning breath, washed my face, and by the time I was done I was fully awake, walking patiently into the kitchen.

"Going somewhere?" Shigure asked as he leaned against the doorframe of the dining room.

"What's it _look_ like?" Kyo said from the entrance hall, shoving on his shoes.

"We're going out for lunch, is Honda-San here?" I asked.

Shigure shook his head sadly, "No, she's still working—hey can I come with you? I'm hungry too!"

Kyo growled disapprovingly and entered the scene; grabbing a hold of my hand, "Make _yourself_ sumthin."

I sighed as Kyo tugged me along with him as we headed for the entrance, "I'll bring back something for you, Shigure." I said absently as Kyo allowed me time to slip into my own shoes.

"Oh, don't worry about me, Adults don't need to eat. You see, children, when you grow up, your body _creates_ food for you, but the only catch is, you need to be in the _sun."_

I froze half way through slipping on my last shoe to stare incredulously at Shigure who was looking quite proud of himself, until his eyes shifted uncertainly between Kyo and I.

"Oh, is this a _date?"_ Shigure said excitedly, clasping his hands together with excitement dancing in his eyes.

"I'm losing brain cells… let's go." I tugged at Kyo's shirt, opening the door quickly to escape the evident stupidity that was intoxicating the air.

"Fair well, Love Birds! May the sun of Love shine down on your delicately intertwined souls!"

"SHUT UP!"

"And bring me back something tasty and delicious!"

"I SAID _SHUT UP!"_

I'd tell him to stop yelling, but that never worked, did it?

**-****End****-**

**AN-** Dammit, more build up... this chapter felt boring to me, I'm sorry if you didn't like it! But it was really just filler. I guess I'm just too excited about writing what's about to come soon-- but you wont know what it is until i post it!!


	54. Chapter 54

**AN-** Alright. So, everyone, thank you for hanging in there... I was in such a bad slump over the past few days, I hadnt been able to sleep for over a week, and stress was like the marshmellows in my luckycharms, it was horrifying. But look look! I pulled through! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and stuck with me, this one is for you!  
(I dont really like LuckyCharms...)

**Chapter Fifty Four**

(Shigure's POV)

I folded the newspaper in half, and then in quarters, sighing audibly as I placed it back down on my desk. I gazed into the bright screen of my computer, feeling a smirk playing my lips as I glanced down at Haru who was sitting comfortably next to me on the floor.

"Nice weather, isn't it?" I said conversationally as Haru inspected one of the books thrown lazily onto my floor, and didn't glance up at me or show any sign of acknowledgment. He had just gotten back from picking Tohru up from her work, and she had escaped to the kitchen to start cooking up dinner.

"Are they gone?"

I leaned back in my leather chair and curved my finger around my chin, "Yes, they left a little while ago, actually."

Kyo and Yuki had departed for the Hotsprings a little sooner then when Tohru and Haru had arrived, "Pity, they're going to miss out on Tohru's lovely cooking." I thought out loud, then a smile broke out on my face, "Oh well, more for me!"

"Hmm." Haru flipped open a blank-covered book and skimmed lightly through the numerous pages.

"It's quite coincidental, actually." I mused to myself.

"What is?" Haru said with little interest as he turned the book upside down and shook it to see if anything was hidden in the pages of the book.

"I heard the influenza in the Main House finally calmed down." I slid my right leg over my knee casually, my voice sceptic.

"I know, Shigure, I live there." Haru replied with little enthusiasm.

I decided to drop the charade and I looked insistently at Haru, "Haa-kun, your actions interest me."

"My actions are insignificant." Haru replied.

"I wonder what you're intentions were." I mused on.

Haru finally combated with me, placing down the novel slowly, "I want to protect him as long as I can."

I was intrigued as Haru spoke again, "Even if it's just for two more days."

"The best way would have been to separate them." I said, an implied question in my voice.

"Why would I want to do that?" Haru said, "This is the first time… that Yuki has ever let someone in."

I laced my fingers together, "They're in for a tough ride."

And I was excited to see where this would go.

(Yuki's POV)

I sat down at the edge of the open-air bath, sliding my legs into the warm water, welcoming the sensations that began to flood up my body at the immense, relaxing warmth, "I'll have to get something for Tohru and Haru for this." I contemplated.

"Feh, they don't need anything." Kyo crossed his arms over the ground next to me, most of his body hidden within the steaming warmth of the water, "They're waaay too into each other to notice anything."

I raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?"

Kyo scoffed, "Hell yeah, he turned black on me a little while ago, went completely berserk, the brat."

"You turned him black?" I repeated, dull with disbelief.

"It wasn't _my_ fault!" He defended, "… okay, I was a bit agitated, but he wasn't helping!"

"I think you're the only one who can turn him black without much effort." I murmured at the unpleasant thought.

"He's just sensitive."

"You're just insensitive."

"Hey, maybe it wasn't me, alright?" He started, "Y'know, maybe he was just all stressed about sumthin."

"Was Honda-San there?"

"Yeah-_Ow_, hey!" I had reached over and hit him on the head, a scornful look on my face as I assessed him with appraising eyes.

"Why do you _insist_ on putting Honda-San in constant danger?" I scolded, not happy.

"Wha? Like he'd do anything to _her."_ He scrunched up his nose, "They're like a bunch of frickn' birds, it's _annoying."_

"I am so glad you're not with her." I breathed a sigh of relief, "I'd never sleep."

"Pah, you saying _you_ can handle me?" He scoffed.

"You're tolerable." I said absently as he raised an eyebrow.

He looked at me with his curious, fiery eyes, and then he reached over me, and slid his body in front of mine, the water rippling around his bare waist until he was the one appraising me, "You gettin' use to me, rat?"

Getting used to him? I tried unsuccessfully to hide a grin. My skin still tingled under his warm touch, my stomach still fluttered under his gaze, my tongue still froze when he would speak, and I still got light-headed whenever he would kiss me.

As much as everything he did had me tumbling to keep up, I knew that I was used to the fact that I still wasn't any where near immune to him.

I didn't have to reach far to touch his face, and I slowly dragged my fingertips over his cheek, "… in some ways, yes."

We arrived here yesterday, passing the time without much excitement, but not without amusement—it wasn't easy to be bored around Kyo, he always found a way to get attention if you ignored him for too long. Over the rest of the week, I had routinely walked Tohru to and from work whenever Haru hadn't jumped to the opportunity—however, he had appeared a few times while we were walking home. Since she was gone so much, I had offered to do the grocery shopping while Tohru was at work, and Shigure, Momiji, or Haru usually accompanied me—Kyo was usually off doing his own thing.

Now the evening lights were on, and the sky was dimming into a silky grey.

And there was no one with me but Kyo.

"Have you been ignoring me?" He asked as my fingers left his skin, and he gave me an accusing look.

My expression was incredulous and my voice sarcastic, "Of course, why else would I be at the Onsen with you?" I leaned forward, "I'm not going to wait around all day for you to come back from the Dojo."

"How do you know that's where I go?" He asked in sceptic bewilderment.

I rolled my eyes, "Honestly, what _else_ would you be doing?'

"Lots of things!"

I gave him a look for him to continue—but he narrowed his eyes and kept his mouth shut.

I sighed, "You worship that place."

"Just cuz your too much of a pretty boy to go there." He implied, then glowered at me, "How the hell can you be better then me if you barely practice at all?"

I smiled, "That's common sense, Kyo."

"But that's _no damn fair!"_ He fumed, his hands curling into fists as he glared off into space, "I spend _hours_ training, and you barely do it _at all!"_

"Why are you still doing it, then?" I said in exasperation.

He looked over to me, "I'm not doing it just to _beat _you."

I looked at him sceptically, "Yeah, now that you've mentioned it, you haven't challenged me for a while."

Something flashed through his eyes—but he quickly looked away, "So?"

"So I was wondering why?" I asked, recalling the last incident that involved me dodging Kyo's blurring fists—it had been the last time he ever challenged me, the day when Kagura arrived at our school. He was a breath away from bruising my cheek, but he had stopped himself despite his impossible speed.

"Tsh, got bored." He said indifferently, but still keeping his eyes averted. "It's no fun fighting you."

"Now you're just being a sore loser." I placed my hands behind me and leaned back on them, giving Kyo a grin while he sent me a glare.

"It's more then just _winning."_ He said, as if it were obvious, "It's connecting with your body, being _free_ in yourself, just letting go and—" Kyo had gotten excited, his eyes were dancing, and his body was tensing in thrill—but when he paused to steal a glance at me, he instantly calmed down, "Never mind. You wouldn't get it."

I looked at him curiously—there was so much life in him, so much excitement. I loved when he showed it; even it was just for a moment. It made him glow.

I reached out and tilted his chin upward so he was looking at me again. I loved his passion, his intensity, his determination—I felt like I had that too when I was with him. I felt like it emitted off of him so strongly, that it radiated through to _me._

His eyes were mesmerizing, and I barely registered it when he drifted closer, standing in between my bare thighs and resting his warm hand on my knee before tilting his face up to meet his lips with mine.

If I could have my way, I would spend most of my time kissing Kyo. For being a ridiculously aggressive boy, Kyo was incredibly gentle, and it only shook my world even more when he displayed how soft he can be.

This was the part of him that belonged to me, that he gave to no one else.

His lips left mine to press a kiss at the corner of my mouth before he rested his face in the crook of my neck, his lips pressing against my skin. I brought my hand up and weaved my fingers through his thick, orange hair before nuzzling my face in its softness.

He had such pretty hair.

I breathed in his gorgeous, musky scent…

"Yuki…"

His breath was against my skin, and my blood rushed through my cheeks at his words, my stomach curled pleasantly and I bit my lip to try and repress the prevailing blush, "yes?"

There was a pause, "… what do you think about?"

"Hm?" I felt his hair tickle at my neck.

"You're always in your head…" he said against my skin, "And I never have a clue what's going through your mind."

"Nothing important." I slid my fingers through his hair again, delighting in its thick softness. I was glad that there were still a few things about me that Kyo couldn't figure out—his intuition had to stop at some point.

He pulled back from me, enough to accuse me with his eyes, "Y'know, that's really frustrating."

"There's a reason why I don't say my thoughts out loud." I informed him unnecessarily.

"That bad, huh?"

"Yes, it's terrible." I said, "My thought process is absolutely repulsive, I'm doing you a favour."

"Like hell you are."

"You're ungrateful."

"You're frustrating." Kyo slunk back into the water until it reached bellow his shoulders and he crossed his arms over my thighs to rest his chin on them, gazing up at me, evidently enjoying provoking me.

Instead of retorting, I merely sighed to show him how much he exasperated me—I think he liked making me exhausted, he didn't put any effort into restraining himself there.

"Alright, I'll tell you." I continued in an ominous voice, "I think about how handsome you are, and your beautiful laugh, and your _adorable_ nose—"

"SHUT UP!"

I laughed and he groaned, "You're sick."

"You wanted to know." I smiled at his scrunched expression.

"That _is_ repulsive." He muttered and I grinned—I'd like to see him try and pry my thoughts out of my again.

The slight weight of his arms over my thighs was pleasant, and I looked back into his gaze… I tilted my head and slid a finger underneath his chin, raising his face back up to mine.

"Now, honestly…" I said in a thoughtful, quiet voice, trailing my fingers along his jaw line, "You are handsome," I brushed my fingers through his lovely hair as his cheeks turned nearly the same colour, "and you're voice _is_ beautiful," I leaned in to brush my lips against his, "And I suppose…" I trailed my fingers over his blushing cheek, "You do have your adorable moments."

He stared at me, finally speechless, with his rosy cheeks and hesitant breathing.

He quickly looked away, "Th-that's the stupidest thing—" But the rest of the words didn't come out, and his blush was even more dominating in his soft cheeks.

His bashfulness was a flattering accomplishment, and I felt something inflate inside of me—I could easily get very territorial over this side of him.

I slid my fingers over his cheek and leaned in to press my lips against his skin, "You're really shy, do you know that?'

"I-I'm _not shy!"_ The defensive edge in his words was softened by his wavering voice and the corners of my lips gave a tug, and I let out a small laugh. He pulled away from me, "You're the one spewing off… off weird stuff like that!" He wasn't fuming, he looked completely lost in his bashfulness, "Who the hell says that, see that's what I'm talking about! You're so goddamn weird, nobody says _anything_ like that, why are you so frickn' abnormal—"

I sighed and placed both hands on his head—he blinked in confusion before I pushed hard and shoved his face beneath the water—

"_GWAH!"_ He spluttered back up, and shook his hair viciously before shoving his wet, dark orange hair out of his shocked face—and then he turned to glare at me, "THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

"You were getting flustered." I said simply.

"_I'll show you flustered,"_ He growled, and then I was trapped in a cage of his wet arms before I was suddenly plunged beneath the surface of water—I resurfaced in the same second, gasping in shock and shoving my soaking hair out of my face and staring at him as he grinned sadistically at me.

"_You baka!'_ I shoved him, "This is an _Onsen_ not a _Lake!"_

"Who the hell cares," His voice was care-free, grinning triumphantly down at me, and I grabbed a fistful of his wet hair and jerked him around the water: "_Don't—be—a—FIVE YEAR OLD!'_

His laugh rang through the air as he tried to pull out of my grip, and then I felt his arms wrap themselves back around my waist and I made a noise of protest before he lifted me up, sliding an arm underneath my thighs to hold me to his body—I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck to keep myself from falling, even though there was so danger in that.

"We will _never_ be allowed back here if you keep on acting like a Baka!" I shoved my wet hair back out of my face, "I am _not_ having a re-run of the _'fountain incident'_ I've had enough of you and water!"

He chuckled, looking up at me, as I glowered down at him… I tried to get a good grip on my irritation, but it was a little difficult to think about being agitated when he was looking at me with those playful eyes.

I stubbornly gave a scoffing sigh and looked away from him, unable to be mad, but refusing to encourage this immature behaviour with my lover.

_WHOA!_

I slapped a hand over my mouth, even though I hadn't said it out loud—

_Lover?_

I felt my cheeks warm.

I had thought it so naturally, as if I had been calling him that for years. I looked at him, and he was giving me an expectantly confused look, yet he was still amused by my lack of 'normality'.

I've always thought of him as something more… devoted then a 'boyfriend'… and 'lover' was a label that suited us perfectly, given our relationship… but wow, it was such an intimate name to call someone, to call Kyo.

… And I was definitely liking it more then I should.

Kyo broke our eye contact to inclined his neck in order to press his lips against the skin of my neck, and I slid my hand back off of my mouth to weave it lazily back into Kyo's wet hair, which was more of a deep red now that it was soaked, as he planted another light kiss on my skin.

I slid my hand down to the nape of his neck, and I trailed my fingers higher to his jaw, inclining his face back from my neck until I could see his vibrant eyes. I leaned down again, and captured his lips softly with mine.

Kyo reacted with equal pleasure, his lips moving so swiftly against mine that we could have been a song. We were so harmonized, so perfectly woven with each other…

Kyo's wet fingers dragged down my bare back, along the valley of my spin, over the small of my back, and he traced the skin just above my towel, which was secured safely around my waist. His touch was patient, and innocent, but still sent shivers rippling secretively through my insides.

I remembered the wondrous feeling of his sweat-slick skin against mine, hot and pleasant, a comforting weight, a gentle firm. I remembered his hands dragging along my naked skin, tauntingly patient. I remembered his hot breath shaky on the skin of my neck, his wet lips insistent on my exposed throat… how _wonderful_ Kyo felt…

And how different, but equally wonderful, Kyo felt now. His lips gentle and soft, his touch affectionately patient, his breathing relaxed against my lips when we would part for a second. My body held in the security of his. It was a different kind of wonderful, and innocent kind, a serene kind.

A faint dinging rang throughout the free silence of the night air, and I eased my lips away from Kyo's. Now that I thought of it, they were serving dinner a bit late, the outdoor lights were already lit, and the sun had long vanished, but the moon seemed to have stolen some of it's majestic light, for there was no heavy darkness lurking through the transparent clouds.

"About time," Kyo let me slide down from his hold, and he substituted our close hold with curling his fingers around mine, "Let's go, I'm hungry."

We got out of the warm bath and slid into our robs, still dripping with water, and we wondered back inside, out of the warm fresh breeze of a summer's night.

I glanced over to Kyo, to see him frowning at me, like he was thinking hard about something.

"What is it now?" I asked, my patience profoundly back in my grasp.

"I still don't _get_ it." He said in frustration, and when I raised an eyebrow in question, he slid an arm around my waist and tugged me close to his body, "You're a fricken _china doll_! Why the _hell_ can't I beat you?"

I sighed—it was this again—and I shoved his head away with little aggression, "It's not all in physical strength, you iron bucket."

He stared at me, and his eye twitched, "_Iron bucket?"_

"Yes, thank you for listening."

"See _that's exactly_ what I'm saying! You're doing it _again!"_ He fumed, and I sighed before entering the dinner room, a table placed seemingly in the exact middle with plates of food organized on top of it.

"It's nothing to twist your brain over." I said absently before slipping myself onto the floor in front of the buffet.

"What about arm wrestling?" Kyo continued, to my dismay, in a challenging voice as he sat himself down across from me, "You gonna tell me it's all in the head with that?"

"Do you want to find out?" I sighed, knowing that he wouldn't let up until I put his ego in its place.

"Hell yeah!" Kyo suddenly slammed him forearm down on the table and swiped across—shoving the plates of delicately organized food into the crowded end of the table before slamming his elbow down in the middle, giving me that look of confrontation and resolve, his eyes a dancing fire.

I mentally rolled my eyes and rested my elbow in front of his and swiftly gripped around his thumb while he did the same, our palms against each other. I gave him a weary look, trying to communicate how endlessly _pointless_ this is, but he ignored it, and with a sharp glare of determination, I felt his grip sharpen and the game was on.

Kyo's hand was tight around mine as I felt the stiff reluctance of his muscles while I pushed back with my wrist stiff, and my arm muscles tensing in resilience to his.

"C'mon, c'mon, _c'mon!"_ Kyo chanted to himself as I felt his strength build against my own, and with stiff reluctance, his hand started pushing further against mine, drawing my arm backwards.

All right, so I was humouring him.

I just wanted to eat.

"Yes yes _yes YES!"_ Kyo ambled on, his hand trembling in forcing his strength against mine, _"You better not be letting me win, rat, or I'm gonna hit you!"_

I sighed, "If you insist." I tightened my grip around his hand and forced my own strength out, rippling down my arm as I shoved Kyo's hand backwards—His eyes widen in shock, "_NO NO NO!"_ He gripped the edge of the table in desperation, "NO NO _NO!"_

The back of his hand slammed against the surface of the table with a defeated cry from Kyo, and I exhaled in boredom, "Are we finished now?"

"DAMN YOU!_ DAMN YOU AND YOUR TELOPATHY_!"

(Kyo's POV)

I pushed myself off the bed.

It was early morning, I could tell by the hazy red sunlight glimmering against the fusuma doors. I reached up to the ceiling, stretching.

The Hotsprings beds were comfortable, they were soft, not stiff, but firm enough to keep you from sinking in—however, it was not the comfort I was used to when I slept.

I wandered over the short distance to Yuki's bed, where he was still sleeping soundly. I ran a hand lazily through my sleep-mused hair as I tugged away the blankets over his body and slid in beside him.

"Nnn…" Yuki stirred as I shifted my body against his, pulling the sheets back over us, but other then that he did not waken. I watched him for a moment—looking for any sign of coherency, but to my dismay, he was still completely lost in unconsciousness. I mentally sighed and lay back down, sliding my chest against his back and curling an arm lazily around his waist, the weight of his slight body a comfort on my arm.

I felt his body move, unconsciously, back against mine, and I felt, more then heard, his soft hum before he grow perfectly still accept from the soft rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

I rested my head further against the pillow, falling back into the drifting fog of sleep, and slowly sank back into my slumber.

(Yuki's POV)

I was much more comfortable then I remembered when I fell asleep, there was a pleasant warmth enveloping my body, and I felt my insides swell gleefully at the familiar feeling.

I shifted slightly, before sliding my eyes open…

The golden haze from the sun fogged through the fusuma doors and drifted across the floor and over my blanket, and I rolled over onto my back and saw Kyo relaxing beside me, his eyes shifting over to mine momentarily before sliding back shut, "I'm giving up on you."

I groaned and dropped my head onto his shoulder, "Y'don't have t'always wait…"

"I felt patient." Kyo said, his words stubborn, but his voice relaxed.

At least he wasn't complaining, that was a good start. I hummed a sigh, and shifted onto my stomach, nuzzling my face into the crook of my elbow.

"There you go again." I faintly heard Kyo mumble, sure that I wasn't supposed to hear that. Even though his voice was just a mutter, I didn't sense any impatience that I was so intoned to.

"I'm not… going back… to sleep…" I mumbled into the pillow, and I heard Kyo snort beside me.

"… Want me to go get you breakfast or sumthin?" he said casually—but I could detect the off tone in it, he sounded antsy.

"No, I'm awake." I said in a lazy voice, turning my face to look at Kyo, who was giving me a disagreeing expression; so I lifted my hand and touched his nose with my finger, "See? Hand-eye coordination."

"Impressive." He reached up and wrapped his fingers around mine, bringing them between us, "Anything else you'd like to show me?"

"I'm just really comfortable." I said as an excuse, and he raised an eyebrow, but didn't press me anything further.

"Alright…" He said, failing to conceal the unconvinced and amused tone in his voice.

I rolled over onto my back and tried to appear as awake as I could, although my mind was still trying to blow away the haze of my sleep, "You're abnormal, too, nobody wakes up at whatever ludicrous hour you do."

He tried to hide a reluctant grin I saw, and there was no doubt he saw right through my façade. He pushed himself off his back and held himself above me—and my sleepy mind wasn't fast enough to register what he was going to do next, despite the painful obviousness of it.

Kyo kissing me was not helping my sleepy state. I was slipping back into the dreamy haze from his warm scent and soft lips, and how they moved leisurely against mine in a lazy slowness, alternating between capturing my lips and brushing against them.

His ever-present breathing was warm, and he smelt so nice—and I felt his fingertips brush at the skin underneath my nightshirt.

I reached up lazily and brushed my hands through the thickness of his soft hair, and his hand ran up my arm while his other fingertips trailed slowly along the skin at the waistband of my pants, over my hipbone, and traced lazy designs on my stomach, which twitched pleasantly underneath his warm touch.

-Then his lips got more insistent, pressing against mine with a gentle, but faster change in pace. The fog in my head begin to thicken and spin around helplessly as I felt Kyo ease his body in between my legs, and his fingertips drag persuasively further up my body—

I broke away from his mouth, trying not to gasp for breath, and I pushed gently at his shoulders, "Okay, okay, not _that_ awake yet."

I heard him chuckle and then his body was off of mine, but not absent. He rolled onto his side and tapped me on the head with his knuckles, "See? Hopeless."

"I'm not hopeless…" I said, still having trouble gaining a natural breath-intake, "You're just overly persuasive."

"Persuasive?"

"Overly." I repeated the key word.

He grinned.

(Kyo's POV)

"Autumn?"

"It's fine… I don't really care."

"But not winter."

"Ugh," I scrunched up my nose, "Winter _sucks."_

"I didn't think you'd like it." Yuki mused. I curled my fingers more securely in between his, relishing in the scent of summer air, fresh green grass, and hot water as Yuki and I strolled around the open garden belonging to the Onsen.

"And you don't like summer." I guessed—but to my surprise, Yuki shook his head. I scoffed at him, "C'mon, how the hell can you like summer when you're like _that."_

Yuki gave me appraising eyes, "Like what?"

I lifted our interlocked hands and Yuki looked confused, "I… make physical contact…?"

"_No."_ I said, editing out the 'stupid' I was going to add on, "You're a frickn' ghost." I referred to his remarkably pale skin.

"It's just my skin…" Yuki said, pondering, "Anyways, we can't all spend every day outside wrestling bears."

"I've never wrestled bears!" I said, a question in my voice over where he heard that one.

"Summer's fine, the sun is nice, but I don't like how hot it gets." Yuki continued.

"You like winter better." I said, a conclusion in my voice.

Yuki looked frustrated, like he couldn't figure out the answer… "I don't know… what I like, really…" He looked back up at me, "I suppose winter suits me more, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." I agreed…

If I were to compare Yuki to any season, it would be winter. Not because it's cold, and dark, and dead—but because it's got an odd sort of beauty to it, it nips at your skin, and it blinds you when you walk too far into the storm… but you can't help but be in awe of it's beauty—and when it gets colder, you shove on more layers, you'd adapt to it instead of abandon it. You'd rather suffer through it, because you want to see how beautiful it becomes…

In those ways, Yuki was exactly like winter.

"Everything has its good parts, I suppose." Yuki said indifferently, "I don't really have a preference."

We wondered onto a wide opening of grass and I slunk to the ground, enjoying the atmosphere too much to wonder back inside, "Yeah, no point in favouring one, they all come and go no matter which one anyone likes."

Yuki stayed standing as I fell onto my back and stared up into the sky, lifting my forearm to the side of my head to shield the sun's blinding light. The lush green grass was soft underneath me and tickled at my bare arms and the back of my neck as my body absorbed the sun's heat.

"Sit down, you look like a giant." I tugged at Yuki's shirt, and he obediently lay down beside me.

I gazed up at the bright sky, the layers of clouds clumping at different atmospheres, climbing higher and further into the endless sky, their white fringe shivering with the glimmer of sunlight.

"I still don't get it." I frowned, my eyes skimming across the clouds.

"Got what?"

"The whole cloud-shape crap everyone gets so excited about."

"It's quite simple, Kyo."

"No, it's not." I glared at the sky, "None of them look like anything but big stupid clouds."

Yuki's voice was patient; "You look at it too literally… you kind of have to morph it in your head, use your imagination, that sort of thing."

"What do I look like, a frickn' computer?" I scoffed.

"… Sorry, I forgot you don't have an imagination."

"I do so." I grumbled, my eyes scanning through the sky quickly—then I spotted a large pile of fluff floating in the sky and I pointed at it, "That's a… fish."

Yuki tilted his head to see where I was pointing, "Which one?"

"That one, beside the big fat cloud." I pointed more insistently.

Yuki laughed, "A fish? Really, Kyo, are you hungry already?"

"How the hell does that matter?" I asked, with little irritation.

"Unfortunately, I'm pretty familiar with your thought-process." Yuki said, sneaking a grin at me before returning his gaze to the sky.

"Oh yeah? If you're so good, I'd like to see you do better." I challenged.

Yuki pointed to the section of the sky close to me, "There's a whole theatre up there."

"A what?" I asked blankly.

"The sky's a stage," Yuki said, as if it were completely normal to think that way, "There's a mother and her child, by your 'fish'," I snuck a glare at him, "And over there is a creature that's stalking them… the men are over there," Yuki pointed at a further section of the sky, "But they're all too busy fighting with each other to help the mother and her child." Yuki turned his gaze back to the 'creature' and looked at it with thoughtful eyes, "See? It's moving."

I looked as hard as I could—but I still couldn't see it, and I made a sound of frustration.

"You have to stop seeing them as clouds." Yuki suggested patiently.

"I know that." But I used his advice—and very slowly, the picture Yuki had painted in my head was displayed out for me on the canvas of the sky.

"You know, the creature could be in love with the mother." Yuki mused silently.

I looked at him in bewilderment, "What?"

He was serene, "The creature could be in love with her. Everyone thinks he's a murderer, because he has to act aggressive to protect himself." His eyes were thoughtful, "But maybe the mother gave him a chance… and she's sneaking away from her abusive husband or something."

"Abusive?" I said blankly.

"Well, look, they're all clubbing each other to death over there," Yuki pointed to the clan of men, "Just a bunch of brutes."

"But not the monster."

"No, not the monster."

I gazed at him… and awe washed through me. Untraceable, uncatch-able, awe.

"You're wrong." I said, turning away, "He's going to kill her."

"Why?"

"Monster's can't be loved." I said simply, "And they can't love back, that's just sick."

"I don't think so." Yuki contradicted, and he raised his hand and pointed to where the mother and the monster were colliding, "See? They're beautiful together."

I raised my hand, and laced my fingers through his, watching how his pale milky skin seemed to almost shine in the sun that was dull in contrast, before resting our hands down beside us.

"It's a disaster." I said softly.

We gazed up at the sky wordlessly, in peaceful silence, watching the monster consume the mother and her child until all they had become was a morphing clump of pale white… cloud.

Through the slight breeze, the rustle of flowers, the catch of whisking scents, the soft tickle of lush grass, my breathing became in sync with Yuki's.

The sky didn't turn into a canvas again.

(Yuki's POV)

"That's mine,"

"No it's not, yours is longer."

"I know my clothing, it's mine."

"If you wanna wear my shirts, you can just _ask_."

"Don't be egotistical, I have enough clothing of my own, thank you."

"Then it shouldn't matter if this is yours or not."

"_Give it_, Cat."

"Make me."

"Do you have _any_ idea how immature you sound?"

"It's just a damn shirt!'

"It's just _my_ shirt!"

"Shut up! No it's not!"

"Yes, it is!'

"Is not!'

"Is too!"

"Is _not!"_

"Arg, I am _not_ going into this with you!"

"Hey, it's _MINE!_ Give it back!"

"What are you _doing?_ I'm not going to play tug-of-war with you!"

"Then give it _back!"_

"_No!"_

"GODDAMMIT YOU STUPID RAT, GIVE IT _BACK!"_

"_You're going to rip it Baka Neko!"_

"RAAAAAAAAAAR!"

_-riiiiip-_

Kyo had the two pieces of the shredded shirt in his hands, and he threw them across the room with a triumphant laugh, "HAHA! _There!_ What _now_ Rat Boy?_"_

I let out a noise between exasperation and frustration and walked across the room to pick up the remains of the torn nomad shirt.

I inspected it as Kyo rambled on about his victory against me (apparently that's how he saw it), and I finally was able to locate the tag of the shirt, and I read its label before standing back up, "You're right, it's yours."

Kyo's loud ramblings stopped and he turned to me, "What?"

"It's yours." I tossed the fabric to the ground and went back to gathering up the other clothes I knew for sure were mine while Kyo loudly mourned over his lost shirt.

I finally shoved in my last belonging and I glanced over my shoulder at Kyo, "You almost finished?"

"Yeah, yeah, hold on." Kyo muttered in disappointment—either over the loss of his shirt, or the fact that I had bested him once more. Kyo shoved one last belonging into his bag before tugging the zipper to seal it, while I did the same but in a much less vicious (and more productive) manner.

After Kyo and I were gazing at the sky yesterday afternoon, we had gone in for dinner, relaxed some more together, and had fallen asleep. We had just finished having lunch, and now that we were done with packing, we could start our trip home.

I gave him an apologetic smile, "I'll buy you a new shirt."

"Who gives a damn about the frickn' shirt!" Kyo fumed, "What the hell were the _odds?"_

"Let's go, I want to get back to pick Tohru up." I said, dismissing the subject, as Kyo swung his bag over his shoulder and walked past me, smoothly grabbing a hold of my hand in the process.

"If Haru's not hounding her." He replied, as we made our way through the Onsen.

I said a good-bye to the hostess, while Kyo merely waved, before we wondered out of the entrance and into the free summer air.

Our Hotsprings weekend was over.

Kyo and I started our journey home together.

**-****End****-**

**AN-** For some reason... I was SO EXCITED when I was writing this! I was all thrilled and my fingers were flying all over the keyboard... I must have had a really good sleep last night, I feel awesome... anyways, thank you SO much for reading, and I really hope that you **!Review!** for me! I did it! The whole HotSprings trip in one chapter. I'm excited to write the other chapters now! Your thoughts, critisism, opinions, compliments, and suggestions are much welcome and appreciated!


	55. Chapter 55

**AN- **The story will be taking a turn, and this chapter starts it. So please read.  
And to all of my reviewers... some of them, I cant even _touch_ on how undescribable they made me feel-- As a writer, and as a person. I owe you wonderous people more then anyone, _-bows_- thank you so much.

Oh, yes _and... _I just wanna say something while I can:  
The views, thoughts and opinions (etc.) expressed in these chapters are not necessarily a reflection of _mine_, but rather of the characters I am trying to portray.

**Chapter Fifty Five**

(Yuki's POV)

"Yo."

I glanced over my shoulder and saw Haru approaching with Tohru smiling at his side. The bright sun sparkled against the white of his hair, and slicked over the black, while his over-accessorized jewellery sent blinding glints of light when caught in the sun.

"Hello, Haru, are you staying for dinner?" I asked as I felt the gliding of fingers across my knee.

"Yes, I have been invited." Haru confirmed while Tohru blushed a smile at him, "Am I intruding, Yuki?"

"No, not at all—I'll help you with dinner, Honda-San." I offered, but Haru held up a hand.

"I have already presented my services to Tohru." Haru said while he and Tohru walked past me and up to the entrance of the house, "Think of it as compensation."

"Alright." I said in a light voice.

Tohru led Haru into the house—but he hung back a moment, looking back in my direction, "Kyo, don't get heat stroke."

"Shut up." Kyo mumbled, and Haru was gone.

I was sitting out in the open clearing in front of our house, a book rested in my lap, the sun warm on the back of my neck, and my favourite cat lying down next to me, his eyes closed, no doubt basking in the sun's warmth.

I flipped the page over and let my eyes skim across the beginning sentence—but a familiar distracting, and subtle sensation crept along my skin as Kyo absently let his fingers drift over my clothed knee again… And the words on the page were only ink, of which my mind made no comprehension.

I let my eyes wander over to Kyo… his head was laid next to my thigh, and the back of his hand rested lazily at my knee.

The corners of my lips gave a tug before I turned my attention reluctantly back to my book. It was, although, only a prop. I didn't know which character was the blonde, and if either of the two were orphans or if that was the dog they shared in the story. I let my eyes drift down to the bottom of the page… and the bold number _105_ was scrolled bellow the paragraphs of laced words. I was already nearly halfway through, and I still couldn't pay attention to the small, but important details. In fact, I barely knew the plot line.

I was too distracted with my own.

Kyo and I basked in the sun for another warm hour or so until Haru lounged his way outside to fetch us for dinner—and I listened to Kyo grumbled as we slid into the shade of the house.

In near custom, now, Kyo and I sat on one side of the table, Tohru and Haru sitting across from us—The contrast between Tohru's excited, lively aura and Haru's indifferent ease was terribly noticeable—and Shigure stroked his ego with his evident pride of sitting at the head of the table.

Shigure coaxed Tohru into a conversation easily, and her bubbly voice filled the air pleasantly as she talked about her day. Kyo pinned his remarks in every so often when Tohru gave details about the behaviour only she could accomplish in certain situations, and Haru's voiced mused through the air to join in.

I brushed my fingers through my hair as I felt my hunger finally subside, absently listening to the sound of Kyo and Haru conversing, while Shigure smiled a reply to Tohru.

I laid my chopsticks down on my plate after a moment of pushing the remaining food around.

"Yuki-San…"

I looked up to see Tohru smiling tentatively at me, "How was _your_ day?"

"It was very pleasant, thank you." I said lightly, and she laced her fingers on her lap, and her eyes became shy and timid.

"Did you have a good time at the Onsen?" She asked, and my answering smile was effortless.

"Yes, I did, thank you very much." I responded, "Is there anything I can offer you in return?"

"Oh, no, no!" Tohru held her hands out in protest, "P-please, it was my pleasure! My pleasure! I'm just so happy that you had enjoyed yourself! I really am!"

"Calm down." Kyo said indifferently, "If he wants to get you sumthin', let him get you sumthin'."

"Of course, Kyo will pitch in." I said to Tohru while giving Kyo an expectant look.

"Of course." Haru repeated.

"Of course." Shigure joined.

"H-hey I'll do what I wanna!" Kyo reacted to the sudden gang-up.

"I think you're gratitude should be displayed, Kyo." Haru said in thought of Tohru, "Or did you not enjoy the trip?"

"Tah? Of course I enjoyed—" Kyo's mouth was open, but the words didn't come out and his cheeks tinted a pink as Haru and Shigure grinned at him.

"Of course?" They repeated in unison.

"DAMMIT, SHUT UP!" Kyo roared, and I winced at the acceleration of his voice out of habit, I was used to him shouting.

"I wasn't _implying_ anything." Haru said as he reached over and pinched a piece of food from Tohru's plate in between his chopsticks before popping it into his mouth.

"I never said you were!" Kyo snapped.

"But you're defensiveness is quite suspicious."

"_You're_ suspicious!" Kyo shot, "And eat from your own damn plate!"

"Oh, such a lively bunch!" Shigure cooed pleasantly as I rolled my eyes and mumbled, _'animals'_ under my breath.

I ignored Kyo as he shot a remark at Shigure, who giggled, and turned my attention to Tohru, "Did anything interesting happen since we've been gone, Honda-San?" I asked as I felt Haru's voice create a flustered energy around Kyo.

"Oh no, nothing too much!" She conversed easily with me, "School's coming up soon—so I suppose that we need to get ready for that at some point…"

"Yes, we should definitely get onto that." I agreed, frowning, "Summer's going by pretty fast, isn't it?"

"Surprising, isn't it?" Haru abandoned his argument with Kyo to converse with me.

"Actually, it is." I agreed, "It feels like it just begun a few days ago."

"You're usually pretty in touch with the date." Haru mused in thought, and I would have blushed if I weren't so used to how attentive he was to me already.

"I usually am." I granted, "I guess I'm not in much touch with the time anymore."

"Did you get that from Kyo?"

"You sayin' sumthin', _ox?"_ Kyo defended.

"Maybe he's right," I tilted my head to the side, assessing Kyo as his eyes captured mine and I gazed thoughtfully back into his, "Maybe you're rubbing off on me…"

The blush was instant in Kyo's eyes, and equally vivid as his cheeks coloured—

"Oh, save it for the bedroom." Shigure scoffed, and I grinned as Kyo's face turned hot red—

"SAVE _WHAT,_ YA DAMN PERVERT?" Kyo barked in defence.

"I guess they didn't get it all out at the Onsen." Shigure sighed, "Once more, Kyo manages to avoid the obvious points of plot and setting."

"_EH?"_

"Alright, enough of the immaturity, Shigure." I pushed myself up from the floor and collected my dishes, sending a concerned Tohru a smile, "Thank you very much for dinner, Honda-San."

She smiled, "Yes, yes! I'm very glad you enjoyed it!"

I evaded the room as Shigure leaned back and patted his stomach, "Ah yes! A beautiful meal from a beautiful flower!"

I wandered to the sink as Tohru replied, "Eh? EH? No! It couldn't have been all that good! I mean—thank you! But there's no way—I tried my best, but it wasn't that amazing!"

Haru's voice interrupted Tohru's frantic spewing, "Yes. A very beautiful meal."

I turned on the tap just as Kyo was making a grossed-out noise by the two males, and I stuck the plug in the drain of the sink before placing my dishes into the rising water.

There was more squabbling from the dining room, but I zoned it out as I turned off the running water and squeezed the soap bottle into the waiting sink. When the water was foaming with bubbles, I picked up a washcloth and began to clean my dishes.

I was rinsing the last of my dishes when Kyo was beside me, dropping more plates into the foamy sink and shoving a drawer open to pull out a larger dishtowel.

"It's so damn noisy around them." He complained, moving on my other side and picking up my clean, wet dishes and rubbing them dry, "Why the hell does he come here anyway."

"Don't be so sensitive," I said gently, "Haru's good company, I like having him around."

"I don't have to like what you do." Kyo retorted, still being finicky and I sighed, letting it pass.

"Kyoo-kun," Shigure creeped into the kitchen, "May you never host any guest in your socially dysfunctional existence!"

"Like I'd ever have reason to." Kyo said bitterly—and I caught an edge to his voice, an implied reason behind the words, but I brushed it aside when Shigure was dropping more dishes into the sink in front of me.

"Yuki-kun, you don't have to do that." Shigure said as I dipped my hands into the warm water of the sink to lift another dirty plate from the bottom, "Kyo-chan can do it by himself!"

"HEY!"

"Honda-San and Haru made dinner, so I don't think it would be very proper to disregard the dishes." I said, sliding my eyes to Shigure, "Isn't it a bit out of character for you to concern yourself with something like this?"

Shigure blinked at me, then let out a laugh, flapping his hand, "Yuki-Kun! I am the very caring and compassionate adult that runs this house—thus I am your true Father-Figure!"

I blinked at him in bafflement as he lifted a finger knowingly, "I must not let you down, Yuki-Chan!"

"FATHER-FIGURE, MY ASS!" I dodged out of the way as Kyo sent a wet bowl hurtling at Shigure, who yelped in shock before clumsily catching the dish with difficulty before it hit his face.

"Kyo-chan!" The authority in Shigure's voice was firm—and admittedly, useless, "There will be no throwing of wet dishes in this house! Go to your room, at once! And may Yuki punish you however he see's fit!"

My hand shot into the sink and I hurtled my own dish at Shigure,_ "Stop that!"_

He sickens me! Honest to god, he sickens me! How can anyone be so vulgar? It's inhumane!

"May I join the battle?" Haru's monotone voice had me glancing over to him, hands slinking into his pockets, and an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, yes, the bacteria is winning, get to work, soldier." Shigure pushed Haru over to the sink beside me.

"Just leave." Kyo said insistently, and Shigure leaned against the counter beside him in reluctance as Haru's hands slipped into the water, and let out an 'aaah' at the warm temperature while I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"No, no, I still have business here." Shigure said as he watched Kyo dry the dishes.

There was an odd silence drifting through the silence that was filled only by the disturbance of water as Haru scrubbed the dishes clean and I rinsed them clean of soap, Kyo rubbing the dishes dry, and the slight tensing air emitting from Kyo out of his frustration as Shigure watched leisurely.

"_Well, what the hell is it?!"_ Kyo barked, and Shigure grinned approvingly at the attention.

"Well, since you're so interested—" (Kyo snarled at this,) "I need to have a letter sent, a request of mine for a delivery."

Kyo and I waited for the explanation of relation it had to his presence—but none came and I let out an audible sigh, "Yes?"

"Yes, yes," Shigure continued, "And I have come across quite the obstacle—it must be…" Shigure waited, building up the suspense… "HAND-DELIVERED!"

"HEY!" Kyo shouted in reaction to Shigure yelling in his ear, and Haru went on completely ignorant to the situation.

"Yes, yes, it's quite a drastic problem, how shall I overcome this…" Shigure contemplated dramatically.

"Just go deliver it now, then." I said, handing Kyo another dripping plate, the warm water slithering down my wrist, "Kyo and I can take care of the house fine, Shigure."

"Oh, no, no, I must not go." Shigure disagreed, "I need to work on my manuscript! Would you really pull me away from my work? Tsk, tsk, Yuki-Chan."

"Shigure…" I felt my patience twitch.

"So Kyo!" The cat flinched away from Shigure with a look of distaste, "You have been appointed!"

"Appointed?" Kyo repeated in a dull voice.

"Chosen, selected, allotted, given the above hand, the say-go, the messenger, delivery mule—"

"_I know what it means!"_ Kyo barked in defence, and I could tell Haru and I were both disagreeing with him in our heads, "If you wanna damn _'delivery mule'_ send _him!"_ Kyo pointed an accusing finger at Haru who let out a 'moo', earning him an incredulous look from all three of us.

"Oh no, Haru needs to go home and get his sleep." Shigure protest, as he slipped out a thin white envelope from his kimono, the messy scribble of ink across the pale texture, "So Kyo-Kun! You must put your young strong legs to use!"

"Don't talk about my legs!"

"You must go now!" Shigure said urgently, flapping the envelope against his face—Kyo spluttered, dropped the dish he was drying, and made to snatch at the envelope with a scowl on his face, but Shigure held it high above his head now.

"_I'm not doing one damn thing for you!"_ Kyo shot, and Shigure tapped him on the head with the envelope, causing Kyo to roar in frustration before he made to snatch at the sealed piece of paper before Shigure stopped Kyo's charge with his hand on Kyo's head.

"Oh, such enthusiasm!" Shigure commented, and pressed the envelope onto Kyo's face, who finally snatched it into his hands, "Off you go on, Kyo-Chan!"

"Hey, I'm not doing it!" Kyo protested firmly, and Haru nudged me with a wet dish when I had stopped my absent rinsing of dishes. I took it from his soapy hands as Tohru entered the scene.

"Kyo-chan, don't be lazy!" Shigure said in a positive voice and Kyo scowled.

"You can't make me go!" He said in stubborn reluctance, and I sighed, seeing how the conversation had met a dead-end.

I put the rinsed plate on the counter and coiled my wet fingers around Kyo's elbow, tugging in slight reassurance, "Come on, I'll go with you."

"Ah-ah-aah," Shigure ticked a finger at my suggestion, and an odd look evaded his eyes, a slight smirk, "I need you here for something else, Yuki-kun."

I looked at him with curiosity and Kyo growled, "What makes you think _I_ don't have things to do?"

Shigure grinned, "Like what? Sharing your poetry with Yuki?"

I couldn't stop it—the involuntary laugh made it out of my throat before I could shove my hand over my mouth in attempt to keep it in.

"GIMME THAT!" Kyo swiped at Shigure, snatching the envelope and stalked with an impressive blush and evident infuriation, "I'M GETTIN' OUTA HERE!"

Shigure and I followed Kyo as he shoved the door violently opened and marched (Literally, marched, there was no other word to describe it) down the path.

"Ta-ta, Kyo-Sensei!" Shigure waved eagerly, his words mockery, as I leaned against the doorframe with a grin.

"You really shouldn't do that, Shigure." I said after Kyo immediately disappeared through the trail.

"Ah, he's too much fun!" Shigure flapped his hand, "Besides, by the time he gets back, he'll have lost all his temper."

"You know, if you tried to _not_ instigate him once in a while, I'm sure there wouldn't be a need to send him on wild goose chases to calm him down."

"Wild goose chases, you say?" Shigure said conversationally, trying to be innocent.

"I saw the address on your letter," I crossed my arms and looked accusingly at him, "Even _I_ don't know where that is exactly. He's going to be wandering out there for ages."

"That's the plan!" Shigure said proudly and I sighed, leaving him in the doorway and walking back into the kitchen, where Haru and Tohru were finishing up the dishes.

I helped them while Shigure creeped about, doing absolutely nothing. It wasn't long before all the dishes were put away, and Tohru had escorted Haru to the door to say goodbye after I had voiced my own farewell.

It was then that Shigure asked for me.

"Come with me, Yuki." Shigure waved his hand insistently, glancing behind him to make sure I was following behind. He led the way to his office, and I closed the door behind us.

Shigure made his way through the piles of abandoned novels blanketing the floor, and slunk into his leather chair, assessing me with curious eyes.

I folded my arms across my chest leisurely and leaned against the door, waiting for him to continue.

Shigure looked at me with interest. "I think you know what this is about."

In the gaze of his knowing eyes—I tensed.

(Kyo's POV)

I covered my hand over my mouth, which stretched wide as I let out a long yawn, walking out of the darkened path and into the clearing of the house. I don't know how long I've been walking, but I've been trying to find out where the hell I was supposed to go, and the address on the letter was definitely not helping.

Dammit, I would even have made use out of one of Tohru's maps--and I was in a much too fowl mood to ask for directions from that damn old pervert.

I raised my eyes up to the sky, to the glow of the moon—but I couldn't see it. I couldn't see the moon through the fogging clouds, the growing clomps of fluff.

The sky had become a canvas again, and it was filled, fogged. Every cloud that started out as a floating piece of fluff, a distant reminder, steadily grew more ominous, more opaque over time, until it finally foamed the moon from my sight. The building clouds obscured the stars, the wishes, from my sight.

"You took your time."

I snapped my attention back in front of me and saw Yuki sitting on the porch in front of the entrance, not quite registering his calm and almost serene voice. He looked as if he had been waiting for me for a while, his eyes swarming with impatience, and his body more tense then usual.

However, as I claimed the remaining steps to him, the impatience didn't fade—as if he was still waiting for something, but my mind was too worn to acknowledge it completely.

"Man, you wont _believe_ what I went through tonight." I sighed in exasperation, sliding a hand into my pocket, "It took me hours to get there, then I couldn't even find my way out of that damn place."

I ran a hand through my hair and blew out a breath of relief, happy to be back home finally—and I looked down at Yuki to see him gazing off into the distance, an odd look in his eyes.

Yuki opened his mouth to say something and I rested my hand on the back of my neck, waiting—but he closed it.

"'sup?" I asked, sinking down onto the hard wood floor beside him. He glanced at me as I laid back onto the firm floor, and waited, stretching my arms over my head as I opened my mouth and let another yawn stretch through my lungs and out my throat.

I slid my eyes shut for a second—feeling the fog of sleep drift welcomingly into my consciousness… and I pried my eyes open, reluctant to fall asleep here, and looked over to Yuki—who was still gazing off in the distance. I reached over and tugged at his shirt, "Hn?" I insisted as he glanced back at me.

Yuki's eyes assessed mine—which were no doubt glazed over with sleep, and a small grin tugged at his lips, "Nothing." He pushed himself up and away from my grasp before tugging at my hair, "Come on, you look tired, I'm keeping you up."

My body was reluctant, while my mind was eager to lift myself from the hardwood floor to head for my warm bed, Yuki quietly allowing me to tow him with me.

(Yuki's POV)

I didn't know whether to tell him or not.

I know it would be the… the right thing to do, but he's always acting like an over-protective brother, or an over-powering father, or an overly territorial lover.

He was the latter, though, for fact.

While I had sat on the porch with Kyo slumping down next to me—I was going through the arguments in my head. The pro's and con's of telling him, of informing him about what I was doing behind his back… and the longer I thought about it, the more clearer it became. The outcome was inevitable, and my thoughts unanimous: If I told Kyo, he'd do something stupid.

So here I am.

Untrustworthy, dishonest, and deceiving.

Lying next to my lover trying, with difficulty, for the first time, to get to sleep.

It wasn't that his bed was not warm enough anymore, or that his silent breathing wasn't a lullaby as reassuring as my own heartbeat—it was that I felt guilty in this pleasure.

I felt like… dirt.

There was only one way to do this—I had to try to keep him as ignorant to my affairs as possible. Kyo was capable of doing a lot of things, and losing his cool, composure, and temper were on his top list of most-practiced skills.

I looked over to his digital alarm clock, the blurring red lights shining ominously through the darkness of his room. It was late, or more technically, very early morning. The moon hazed against the closed curtains, and the steady sound of Kyo's silent breathing echoed in the air—but tonight, it gave me no comfort.

As calm as I tried to be, the unease settled deeper into my organs.

I couldn't shake it.

I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair, closing my eyes and concentrating. I took the unease, the anxiety, and I shoved it away from me, bottling it up tight.

I would not think of it.

Not when I'm with Kyo.

Not until I have to.

I looked over to him, his orange hair mused in his face, and the sheets rising and falling in an easy pattern over his body. He looked so deep in his sleep, so tired—and unbearably innocent.

I remembered the cage I still had locked up inside of me, of that strange feeling I got the morning after Kyo and I shared our most intimate night. I had pushed it aside—while it still rattled at the chains at different moments around Kyo, I still had it secured.

So what's in the cage? What have I locked up? Pushed away?

Why was I scared of it?

I contemplated opening it up, letting it spill through me, let me feel it—but I shied away. Pushed it back into the black of my mind.

I wasn't ready to deal with _that_ yet.

If I tried to, in the wake before the storm… things could get messy.

Things could break.

(Kyo's POV)

I woke up today.

And I knew something was wrong.

Out of place.

I pushed my sheets off of my body and slid into a sitting position, running my hand through my hair as I took in the emptiness of my bed.

So what was that rat doing now?

I stumbled out of my bed, griping my desk to keep myself upright as I rested my forehead in my hand—my vision went blurry and I felt a buzzing creep underneath my skin, and my legs became weak…

When I overcame my head-rush, I straightened up and shook my head clear of any after effect, before pushing myself forward and across my room. I opened my door before closing it behind me and heading for the bathroom, where I turned on the cold water. I cupped my hands underneath the cold temperature before splashing my face with the watered chill. I grabbed the hem of my shirt and lifted it over my torso, using it as a towel and drying off my face.

I wandered back down the hall, descended the stairs, and walked across the kitchen to the fridge, which I tugged open in my morning hunt for milk.

After filling a glass and taking my first sip, I wandered into the dining room—and was greeted by a lazing middle-aged man.

"Good morning, Kyo-Kun, I see you slept in," Shigure commented with a sly edge to his voice, as if he had been wishfully anticipating this.

"You had me running through town all yesterday, the hell do you expect?" I sank down at the table and took another swig of my milk as Shigure created a silent hum in his voice. I put down my milk, "So where's Tohru and Yuki?"

"She had an early shift." Shigure said, trying to seem uninterested as he assessed a dent in the table, "Yuki walked her—oh, and she left you some breakfast." Shigure pushed a bowl of food that was steaming in front of him across the table to me. I took it eagerly.

"So, Kyo…" Shigure started with a seemingly uninterested tone, "How are you and Yuki doing?"

I looked up at him in question, my mouth full of food. I swallowed, frowning, "Fine." I said, my suspicion and curiosity evident in my voice at his question.

Shigure turned the crinkling page of the large newspaper, and the wrinkled sound filled the silence before he answered, "Tight as brother's, are you?"

I scowled, "Don't make it sound like _incest_!"

Shigure blinked—then smirked, "Oh ho ho! So you two are at the point where incest would be questionable, hmm?"

"_Ahk?"_ I grimaced, "The hell, that's not what I meant!"

...though, yeah, technically that _is_ what it was.

Yuki and I were one big pile of Incest.

Shigure assessed me with interested eyes—and then amusement was toiling dangerously in his eyes, "You two are close, aren't you?" He slid a finger underneath his chin and watched me carefully, "I wonder… how close…" His lips gave a tug at the corners, "What would you say, Kyo?"

I stared at him—then my eyes narrowed, "The hell are _you_ asking for? Are you planning something?"

I saw a dark glint in his knowing eyes, and a faint smirk curve his lips—and then he was leaning back and letting out an amused laugh, "Why, dear Kyo, what would _I_ be planning?"

"Huh?" I wrinkled my nose at him, "Stop trying to confused me, you're being creepy."

"Oh, I see." Shigure said in a quiet voice as I took another drink of my milk, "He hasn't told you, has he…"

I swallowed, "Who hasn't told me what?"

Shigure looked like he was looking at something interesting on my face, "That's just like him."

"Are you talking to yourself again?" I said, my voice sharp in agitation and Shigure stroked his chin with a finger before he continued, "Quite interesting…"

"DAMMIT, STOP LOOKING AT ME WHEN YOU'RE TALKING TO YOURSELF!" I pounded my fist on the table, my glass and bowl rattling from the impact.

"Kyo-Kuuun don't break my furniture!" Shigure said in a despairing voice while I snarled at him.

"THEN DON'T _MAKE ME!"_

"You're so violent, Kyon-Chan," Shigure said in distress, then his eyes flicked past me and widened for a moment, "Oh! Yuki-kun!"

I looked automatically over my shoulder and saw Yuki staring at us nervously, just entering the scene, "Shigure…"

"Yuki-kun, tell Kyo-chan not to break anymore of my tables!" Shigure complained and I rounded on him:

"DAMMIT, DO I _LOOK_ LIKE HIS PET?"

"Don't give him _reason_." Yuki said in a suggesting voice that held some sort of implication that I didn't catch, and I looked back at him—he caught my glance for a second before turning away from me and heading into the kitchen, "Lunch is in the fridge." He informed over his shoulder before I heard him head up the stairs.

I frowned—but brushed it off, "I'm gonna go for a walk."

"Alright." Shigure said with an odd voice.

It didn't take long for me to clean my dishes and get out into the fresh air, away from Shigure's creepy stares and weird voice. He made me feel abnormally uneasy; usually I would just be disgruntled by his nature, but today… I felt edgy by it. Unsettled.

Or maybe it was Yuki who had settled that feeling. His nervous composure, when he first came in he looked anxious—anxious at Shigure, as if he thought Shigure had said something to me…

I frowned and kicked at the dirt, shoving my hands into my pockets.

Dammit, Yuki. Why does he have to make me feel so cynical at times? I was probably still worn from my frantic running-about yesterday evening, even though Yuki had left me to sleep in until near noon.

I wandered about for a while longer, my mind drifting to Yuki—but those five seconds were the only time I had seen him today, he was probably thinking about something Tohru said or… anything stupid that rat always gets all thoughtful about.

Why couldn't I have mind-reading abilities? It was nearly impossible being around Yuki when he gave off that uneasy air, and I couldn't get a clue what he was thinking.

I shook my head, and brushed Yuki out of my mind before I started thinking up stupid answers for something that probably wasn't even going on, and I let my thoughts wander to something else…

I've been going to the Dojo a lot of late, but Shishou was never there. That had bothered me for a while. Last I heard of him, he was taking a trip somewhere else on request—I was, with shameless evidence, disappointed that he was going to be gone the whole summer, maybe even the full year. I wanted to spend it at the Dojo, with _him_—but then Yuki started to make my life _very_ confusing and difficult, and stole almost every thought in my head for himself.

I wasn't disappointed _now_ that Shishou wasn't here—it would be difficult for me to balance both Shishou and Yuki right now, seeing as Yuki's still such an obsessive part of my life at the moment… and I was still a bit… okay, a bit _shy_ over the fact that Yuki and I have gotten close, and Shishou would no doubt send me those… those _glances_ when he'd think that I wouldn't be looking. I don't think I could take his silent teasing at this stage—but Shishou wouldn't call it teasing.

He's say something stupid, like how he was just a Father dotting on his Son's first intimate relationship—and he'd be careful not to mention how it was with the _rat_, but I could just imagine how ecstatic that would make him, knowing that I had finally over-come my dominating hate for Yuki.

Dammit, Shishou… as much as I would hate to admit my affections for Yuki to him, there was a lot of places throughout the past few months where I would have really appreciated to talk to Shishou, get his advice. I was still so in need, so dependent on his guidance. I wonder if I'll ever be able to outgrow that.

I leaned against a tree and rested the back of my head against the bark, gazing up at the warmth of the summer. I had a feeling that I would really need his guidance soon.

But it was, after all, just a feeling.

My walk was over when I watched the sun begin to lower from the height of the sky, and I entered back into the house, my stomach hungry once more for lunch. Shigure, Yuki, and I heated up the meal that Tohru left in the fridge, like usual, and sat down at the dinner table.

but, not like usual, Shigure was pretty earnest on capturing me in conversation—and I kept glancing at Yuki, and his silence. He kept his eyes averted from mine, and only opened his mouth to eat.

I didn't like this—he was lost in that damn head of his again, and nothing ever came good of getting lost in your head, I knew that. You'd twist things around, mulling them over in your head—and Yuki was definitely twisting. He had that look in his eyes that I used to be so familiar with. Used to be, but wasn't anymore.

Shigure kept hurtling questions and comments at me, so much that I only had moments in between to shove food in my mouth before I felt the intense need to bark something back at him—and my barking at Shigure wasn't unusual, but I had become more agitated and frustrated at him, and usually Yuki would step in and say something by now.

But Yuki had been completely quiet.

If he thought he could fool me with _that_ performance, then I was definitely insulted.

"Did you meet Tenya?" Shigure sent another question my way, and I felt the hair at the back of my bristle in complete agitation at the repetition, "She's quite a doll, very lovely, just left High School! I would have gone with you to deliver the letter, Kyo, just to meet her once more! Alas, not meant to be, not meant to be."

I ignored him. That was it, I just ignored him, and I glared at Yuki.

There was _no way_ he didn't feel my stare, I was not being subtle, or inconspicuous—in fact, I even heard the slight nervous edge to Shigure's voice as I glared daggers at Yuki.

I snapped, "Alright, that's _it!"_ I shoved myself onto my knees and loomed over the table, "What the _hell_ is going on?!"  
Yuki didn't look up at me, even after that, and it was Shigure who answered, "Kyo-Kun, odd outbursts like that are frowned upon in most normal households."

"You shut up!" I barked at Shigure, keeping my eyes on Yuki as he rested his fingers on his brow in exasperation and attempt of ignoring me. That pissed me off more. I reached out and grabbed a hold of his wrist, yanking his hand away from his face—and he finally met my gaze.

"The hell's wrong with you?" I said in a sharp voice.

"Excuse me?" He asked in a calm voice.

"I said—_the hell is with you?"_ Shigure was silent now.

Yuki sighed, "Don't be delusional, cat." He said in a tranquil voice, slipping his wrist from my grip.

I rested my forearms on the table, putting pressure on them to try and ease off my agitation, "I'm gonna find out!" I threatened, and Yuki let out a silent sigh.

"When you're done with your assumptions—" He took his dishes into his hands, "—How about you pick up Honda-San. Haru is busy tonight." Yuki stood up, and without another glance at me, he walked out of the dining room, closing the door behind him.

I stared after him in complete distraught.

"Oh my… how distant of him." Shigure mused, echoing my thoughts, after a moment.

"What's up with _him_?" I looked back at Shigure and he was scrutinizing my expression with interested eyes—and he kept on staring.

After a moment I started cringing away and narrowing my eyes at his gaze—and I was about to assume that he was daydreaming until he spoke up, "Well, you know Yuki-Kun, always worrying about things."

No… no, he wasn't always worrying about things. He used to be like that, having that odd look in his eyes, as if he were thinking about something he didn't want to, or couldn't understand. Yuki hasn't had that look for a while… and I remember faintly, coming home after Shigure's errand yesterday, seeing that same distant look on his face.

My thoughts kept on telling me that I was just being paranoid in my agitation—but my _gut_, my instincts, were definitely uneasy.

And I never was one to trust my thoughts above my instincts.

"Should you go talk to him?" Shigure said—and although his words could have been suggesting, his voice was instigating, like he wanted to stir things up.

"Nuh." My voice was frustrated, "No point, if he doesn't wanna tell me, he'll knock my face in before I get anything out of him."

"Oh I see." Shigure mused, "Is that a fact."

"It isn't my business anyways." I tried to brush it aside.

"What if it is?" It wasn't his words, as much as his voice that caught my attention—knowing.  
Did he have to mess with me like that?

"Still wouldn't matter." I grumbled, frustrated at my incapability against his stubbornness.

Shigure assessed me for the millionth time today—eyes thoughtful and curious, lips curved in interest and amusement.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "What…?"

"I'm interested…" He mused thoughtfully, "This should be very interesting…"

I growled and shoved myself up from the floor, "Could you try being normal for _one second?_ Ya old dog!' I stormed out of the kitchen and made for the kitchen sink, where I disposed my dishes and cleaned them ruthlessly.

I was still scrubbing the soapy dishcloth against my dish when all of a sudden, every ounce of anger drained from my system.

I furrowed my brow in concentration and let my hands sink into the warm, foaming water.

He was… acting weird.

It was normal for Shigure, for one, to act all sceptical and implying… but Yuki was being distant…

This wasn't like, 'what should I do with my future…' distant, this was _Yuki_ distant. Yuki-distant was bad, but it was only today—maybe he'd get over it tomorrow. He always got all sensitive over little stuff...

He probably didn't get a lot of sleep.

There's nothing I should worry about.

It was Yuki... and even if there _was_ something wrong, he wouldn't bother telling me.

He had too much pride for that.

(Yuki's POV)

I let out a breath as I tried to relax my tense muscles—but even the leather seats could give me no comfort.

Suffocating, I placed my hand on the armrest bolted against the car door and pressed onto a reluctant button. I watched as the glass beside me slowly slid into the car, and the fresh summer breeze flooded swiftly into the confines of the vehicle.

My seatbelt was tight against my chest, around my waist. I felt like it was curling around my lungs instead of my body, restrained me from breathing instead of protecting me.

"Does Kyo know."

Hatori's voice was so dull, so passive, that if I hadn't caught the words I would not have thought it was a question, but instead a bored remark about the heat.

"No." I said, my voice detached.

I didn't understand why my body was reacting like this.

I had been expecting this situation for a while now, so I should be quite prepared for what is to come for me. I had to pay for my decisions.

"Don't do anything to instigate the situation." Hatori cautioned.

I nodded stiffly.

"This doesn't have to turn out bad, Yuki."

I closed my eyes.

"Don't do anything rash."

I felt a dead smirk tug at my lips, "Save that for Kyo, Hatori."

Hatori was silent for a moment, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Of course it will." My voice was bitter, but accepting.

"Not if you would at least listen to me, Yuki."

"I'm not leaving him over _that_."

"Then, I can not help you." Hatori's voice was professional.

There was silence in the car, where I concentrated on the warm summer breeze that flowed in from the open window, weaving through my hair and kissing lightly against my cheek. Somehow, though, the summer air… was unbearably cold.

"He just wants to talk, Yuki."

I was about to retort, when I realised how much I needed to cling to those words, to believe them.

My words would crush those ones; mine would strangle those reassuring words. I needed to hold onto something right now, or things might turn out badly.

There was no reason to sink into that endless void I was only starting to pull myself out of.

There was no reason.

Until the gates opened.

Hatori drove into the Sohma Estate, and my heart rate accelerated with dizzy panic, my lungs throbbed painfully, my throat clenched, and my tongue swelled into the back of my throat.

Something tugged at a dark swell inside of me.

Something tugged at the delicate strings of my heart.

Something tugged at the fragile coils of my mind.

Something dark.

Something waiting.

Tugging _ruthlessly._

Was I being a coward…

Or was I being brave…

I could not tell, sitting here, frozen in my seat, nails digging numbly into my palm, the summer warmth shivering desperately into my lungs.

I couldn't find the reason…

No... surely, facing your fears in place of someone you cared for...

surely, that was a brave thing...

...surely...

_...surely, not telling Kyo would have been for the best._

Hatori cut the engine.

**-End-**

**-**

**AN-** And we have come to Akito-San. The next chapter should be very interesting to write.  
These chapters are getting pretty long, huh?


	56. Chapter 56

**AN-**

**Chapter Fifty Six**

(Yuki's POV)

My heart was pounding in my chest.

Hammering against my ribcage, seizing and quivering in my throat.

I felt a sickening desire swell up inside of my clenchinfg stomach, a shiver crawling over my skin, a trembling buzzing through my weary insides. My blood grew cold, and yet it was racing like water across ice.

The door slid closed behind me, and the sunlight vanished with it.

I wanted to run, I wanted to turn and run, force my legs to carry me until I couldn't breathe, until my muscles tore, until I fainted in the dirt.

And I wanted to stay. I wanted to race across the room, to be rid of the gaping space between us, to curl into His arms, to have Him hold me so close, so tight, that my heat beats with His, that my skin melts into His.

A beautiful darkness.

An essential abuse.

A reassuring disturbance.

My fingers began to tremble, and I curled them into my sweating palm. My body was trembling, so I tensed each muscle. My eyes were stinging, so I closed them tight.

Such… melting… darkness…

It's leaking into my lungs, soaking into my innards, oozing down the back of my throat.

I wanted to feel Him, I wanted to hear Him, I wanted to see Him.

And I wanted to _run._

I want to run—

I slid my eyes opened and watched as the crimson glow of the setting sun glowed against the shoji screens, giving the room a faint, ominous glow like a fading candle. The walls, though touched by the dark glow, were black. This sun… this _glow_… it was not the light that set fire to Kyo's hair, or glowed against his bare skin. It didn't hold that flaming beauty, that ominous life, that hazing serenity…

_This_ sun… _This_ glow… it did not touch me. It could not reach me.

I could not reach him here.

Here, I was alone.

I was alone, completely alone… and yet, I feel almost… whole.

This place, this hollow, empty place, with nothing but darkness, where not even the sun held light… this is where I belong.

I fit.

In this darkness.

With _Him._

I was complete in such a hollow darkness.

Such terrifying beauty.

His silhouette sang with miserable desire against the shadow of the sun, such an ominous figure, such a God-like physique, such a powerful… such a powerful feeling…

Such a frightening… powerful, feeling…

I wanted to burn it in my skin, mould it in my flesh, drain it into my blood stream. I wanted it to pulse into my heart, to poison my thoughts, to distort my vision, to rip my voice from my throat.

And I wanted to tare it away.

I watched with steady eyes as the figure slowly turned. The faint glow casting shadows over His transcendent face.

And through the dark, the shadow casting black over the hollows of His eyes…

I felt His stare bore into me.

I felt my innards cringe desperately as He looked at me—and I was naked.

Completely torn of all pretence, of all protection, of all guard, of all skin, flesh, bones, and blood.

His eyes bore deep within my self to a place where even I didn't dare to look.

"Hello, Yuki."

I breathed in his voice, his portentous voice… it was not a voice, it was the _air._ It was the air I breathed, the breath in my veins, the blood to my quivering heart.

"It has been… so long."

A seductive whisper, a trilling scream, a comforting dream, and a terrifying nightmare.

_But which one._

His body drifted through the crimson glow; brandishing transparent, and stretching shadows over the long itinerant walls.

He neared me, closer still, and I curled my fingers tighter, digging my nails into my sweating palm, breathing into seizing lungs, looking through stinging eyes.

"I have been waiting… for you, Yuki."

His body was so close, His magnificence emitting from Him in powerful waves—waves that had me stumbling away, and dragging me in deeper. His aura, so strong, so over-whelming, I wanted to crumble onto my knees, I wanted to melt into Him, I wanted to drown in Him.

I wanted to drown.

My black ocean.

My sinking sky.

"I have… missed you."

Akito approached me.

(Kyo's POV)

"Kyo-Kun?"

I looked up to see Tohru giving me a worried look, "Are you alright?"

I shrugged it off, "Yeah, fine."

The sun was setting, nearly completely consumed by the greedy horizon, and the red fog of its departure was fading across the sky. I was walking Tohru back home, and she has been in her usually bubbling mood—but I suppose that I let my expression give away too much of my confusion.

Her eyes were deep with concern, and her brow slightly ruffled by uncertainty, "Did you not have a good day?"

I complained stiffly, "Guess not, everyone's been acting like they gotta stick up their ass."

"Even Yuki-San?"

"Pfft, don't get me _started_ on _him."_ I said, but my voice held no agitation, just exasperation.

"So are you two fighting?" She asked in quiet insecurity, no doubt wondering if she should be bringing this up.

I frowned, "I dunno… maybe he _is_ mad at me…" My words trailed off as I sunk back into my thoughts, racking back throughout the day and trying to figure out what I could have done to make him give me the silent treatment, "Usually when he's pissed, he just comes out and kicks my ass for it."

"Oh…" it didn't sound like that was a comforting thought for Tohru, but it was comforting for me. Except for the fact that this situation didn't prove that right.

"He hasn't told _you _anything, has he?" I asked, almost in desperate agitation, and Tohru immediately shook her head—but then she stilled.

"Maybe… maybe he did, and I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have!" Tohru held her hands to her mouth nervously, a frantic look sparking in her eyes.

"Don't do _that." _I said, clearly frustrated, and I pulled her hands away from her face, "He's probably just fretting over something stupid. Maybe that Ox… hey, did Haru say anything to Yuki after I left?" I asked, suddenly remembering how everything seemed normal until after I went to deliver the letter for Shigure.

"Haru?" Her eyes lit up at his name, and I felt my eyebrow rise in reaction, "No, I went home with him after you left. We were together the whole time."

A blush formed underneath the light colour of her skin, and I walked forward, ignoring it, "Maybe that damn dog said something to him, he seemed to know something." I narrowed my eyes at remembering his more profound mysterious nature with me all of today, "Yeah, he _definitely_ knows something."

"Maybe Yuki-San was just tired… I made him get up early to walk me to work, oh no, what if I said something? W-what if I did something to offend him!" She gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth and her eyes quivered in fear, "Oh no! I must apologise! I didn't mean it!"

"Shut up with that." I smacked her on the head without roughness, and jerked my head forward, gesturing for her to follow me as I continued to walk, "It's not cuz of you, he pretty much _adores _you, ya know."

"Eh??"

"Honestly, you're like a frickn' angel to him." I ranted to her, feeling a bit jealous as I did so, "Even from the beginning, when you were around him, he wasn't so cold all the damn time." I looked away to wrinkle my nose, "He doesn't like it when you think you did something wrong, so just stop with that."

"B-but—"

"I'm bein' serious." I gave her a firm look, "It's not _you."_

Finally letting it get through to her, Tohru nodded quickly at my insisting tone, and she tugged at her shirt, "I'm sure Yuki-San is alright."

"Nnh." I shoved my hands into my pockets and glowered at the sidewalk. All day. We've had days when we barely saw each other, but he wouldn't _ignore_ me like he has today.

It was only _one day_, and it was already chewing chunks of my self-restraint, who the hell knew, he'd probably just wake up tomorrow and he'd be flashing me one of his blinding, yet timid smiles.

"Do you know where he is now?" Tohru asked in a slight voice.

I glanced over to her, "Hn? Dunno, I don't really wanna keep tabs on him when he's like this." I shook my hair out my face, "Best to leave him alone, I'd only make it worse."

Tohru gave me a considerate smile; "Maybe it wouldn't make it worse."

I wrinkled my nose; "Yuki doesn't like it when I try to help."

He likes doing things on his own—just like me.

And Hell, did I hate that.

(Yuki's POV)

"How long has it been, Yuki?" He spread his arms wide, and I felt a current rush through me—a pull, an undeniably tempting pull; and a force, pushing me away, willing me to fear. In the confusion of such strong, and cursedly opposite emotions, I was frozen. Caught between being attracted and repelled, invited and unwelcomed.

"Akito." I acknowledged Him in a weary attempt at a greeting—my voice silent.

My voice was always silent… always so silent around Him.

A grin slid along His lips and I refrained from cringing away, "I have heard many stories, Yuki."

His eyes mocked me, and an amused knowledge flickered in them, "I ignored them, but they just kept coming." He mused to me, a curious smirk on his lips, "One after the other. The next one more amusing then the last."

I tried to swallow, but my mouth was completely dry, and my throat felt swollen.

He was so close now—so close that it _hurt_.

He impaled me with those dark voids He called eyes, "So I brought you here, Yuki." His hand raised up in such a slow manner that it caused my pulse to go on over-drive, "I brought you here to see if they were true."

His fingertips feathered onto my cheek, and my pulse stopped. My heart froze. My blood crystallized… and His eyes smouldered, "_Are _they true, Yuki?"

I hated it—I hated how much He said my name, kept saying it, kept saying it, each time dragging a ripping nail against my soft heart. I tried to keep my composure in my voice, "Which stories."

A sudden grin spread wide across His face, and a low, amused chuckle rattled from His throat—and I dug my nails deep into the flesh of my moist palm to keep them from trembling.

"'_Which stories'_??" He repeated, His voice harsh and drenched in entertainment, "Don't play coy with me, Yuki, you know which ones." His fingers trailed higher over my cheek, freezing my skin with His cold skin, "The one's I hear about you and that _cat._"

I breathed in as steadily as I could, my fears confirmed, "Yes, they are true."

Suddenly a trilling laughter claimed the silence, and His head rolled back as the laughter inked out of His throat, snapping against the dark walls, vibrating through my body.

He kept laughing, and I kept digging my nails into my palm. His fingers, trembling with hilarity, removed themselves from my face to curl around His stomach as He bent over in laughter. The sound shook through me, and I didn't know whether to feel relieved, or utterly terrified at His reaction.

Then His ringing laughter finally settled into rippling snickers as He hid His mouth in the arm of His kimono, His body trembling with amusement.

My body was trembling too, but not with laughter.

When His snickers died down, He lifted His face just high enough so that He could bore His eyes into mine from underneath His eyelashes. He hummed to end the laughter, and then His voice was mingling with the shadows on the walls, "See, here I didn't think it was true. The Mouse, and the Cat. So strange, so weird, so stupid." Another snicker shook His body briefly, "Just like _you_, Yuki."

It was impossible, to detach myself from His words. To fold into myself, and block Him out.

It was impossible, because He was already inside of me. There was nowhere to hide.

"I guess, with you, it would make sense." He mused, straightening up now, and cocking His head to the side as He assessed me, "You really are… such a lonely boy." The corner's of His mouth twitched unpleasantly, "Are you really so lonely… that you would seek comfort from the _cat?"_

Something rocked through my body, nearly sent me leaning against the wall for support. A realization? A sudden… understanding?

_Was that it?_

_Was that… could that be it?_

I was shaking my head, back and fourth, in response to my thoughts, in response to His words. I wasn't with Kyo to ease my loneliness… I never asked for that.

A darkly amused glint seeped into His eyes at my reaction, "Oh, yes, that is true. You know it's true, Yuki. You are so lonely, so _desperate_ for affection." His fingers reached out to me and the muscle in my thigh twitched in desire to back away, "Such a lonely… _desperate_ boy."

His cold fingers were back on my skin, making in _crawl_, and they trailed along my jaw-line, "Seeking comfort… in that _thing."_

"It's not like that!" The words spilled out of my tight stomach involuntarily—and He quirked a questioning eyebrow at me. I shut my mouth immediately—talking like that, outbursts like that… it could get Kyo hurt, if I wasn't careful. If I enraged Him too much, Kyo could get hurt.

"It's not?" His voice doubted me confidently, "Yuki… you are _blinded_ by your emptiness."

I felt despair wash through me like a cold rush of water and I shook my head, and this time my voice was nearly a whisper, "I'm not empty."

He let out a short, bitter laugh, "Not empty?" His eyes implored me insistently, "Yuki… you are _hollow._"

At the words command, I felt my insides fade from inside me, lurch to the sides of my body, leaving a painful hole in the gut of my stomach.

He looked at me with a dull expression, and commanding eyes, "You are _blind, _Yuki. _Empty. Hollow._ There is no light for you. You are _masked_ by your darkness. Walking around, arms outstretched, pleading for help—that's what _you _are, Yuki." His words grew bitter, "You are truly _pathetic_."

And I was.

His words, they defined me.

No matter how much I tried to hold onto my composure, my newly developed confidence, my forming security—it all slipped away, useless against His words.

He came closer to me, and I felt the fabric of His kimono brush against my clothing as He leaned in—and my mind was immediately intoxicated by His nearness as I felt His cold breath at my ear.

"Do you think he _likes_ being around you?" He said in a domineering whisper, "Who would like to be around _you_, Yuki?"

I tried to keep my breathing even, but my lungs quivered, and my throat trembling against each inhale.

"You are so _boring_." He said in a dull, insisting voice, "All you do is _complain_."

I turned my head in pathetic attempt to cringe away from His unyielding words.

"You push your pathetic insecurities onto everyone around you, Yuki." His voice slithered through my ear, rattled amongst my insides, and drifted into my existence, "You drag _everyone_ into your weak depression."

In small attempt to hold myself together, I dragged an arm over my stomach and curled my trembling fingers into the fabric of my shirt.

His breath didn't leave my ear, "_You're like a disease, Yuki."_

I was trembling—quivering against His words, trying to block them out, trying to keep myself together… but the hole in my stomach kept expanding, and I was useless.

"_Spreading darkness onto everyone around you."_ His voice was haunting, and wet with repulse, "_Killing everyone's happiness."_

I bit my lip to keep myself from whimpering against His words.

No… No, I don't want to be like that…

_I don't want to be like that._

_Don't say that._

_Don't say things like that…_

"Or have you forgotten?"

I tried to keep myself from hunching over, from folding into myself, from curling into a pitiful ball on the floor at His feet.

"Have you forgotten your _place_?" He slithered in my ear, "Do I need to remind you?"

My eyes snapped wide with fear and my breath hitched in fear.

"Do I need to put you back? In that _special room?_ You wouldn't be a burden on anyone there… you could let everyone live in peace. You should _remember_."

I clenched my teeth together to keep my jaw from quivering as I vanished from His room—and I became surrounded by tall, stretching walls that loomed over my infantile form… and the dark, cascading shadows that screamed across the empty floor. The door… so near, but unreachable. The room—was filled with _nothing._ Even with me in it.

"I will keep it unlocked." He mused into my ear, His voice singing into my lungs. "I will keep it unlocked, but you won't leave."

His dark chuckle filled the air, seeped into my ear, and an un-restrainable shiver iced up my spine, "Where would you go? Who would want _you_?"

My eyes, still wide with the fear that poured through my tightening veins, could see nothing but _that room._

That… empty… room…

"No one would visit _you_." He chanted in my ear with silky purity, "Only those who pity you."

My false pretence, my desperate attempt at showing no weakness, it was washed away, a useless protection against His dominating words, a worthless shield against His horrific honesty.

So completely useless against His words.

"_Is that what you want, Yuki?"_

I felt my stomach seize, and clench painfully as I wrapped my arms firmly around my in shaky attempt to fill the hole inside of me.

"_Do you think he'd care?"_

The cold crawled across my skin and I tried to concentrate on breathing, on thinking, on pulling myself together—

But He was breathing against me, taking my air.

But He was in my head, clouding my every thought.

But He was inside, pulling me apart piece by piece…

"Do you think he _fucks_ you because he _cares?"_

My eyes snapped up to His—

_How did he know that?_

_That was __personal__—that was __private_

His lips sickly curled into an amused grin, and His voice was drenched in molasses, "You. Are. So. _Gullible."_

I dug my nails into my clammy palm and tensed my muscles in attempt to settle the trembling—but I could not tare my eyes away from His.

"It's pathetic, how much you'd believe." He said in a fragile voice dripping with silky pity, "You are nothing to them, Yuki. You are nothing but a _tool_, do you understand?"

I felt my jaw tremble, so I clenched my teeth together.

I felt my fingers quiver, so I squeezed my fist tighter.

I felt my lungs tremor, so I held my breath.

I held my breath.

"I am the only one who cares for you." His eyes were soft, and pulled me in deeper, "I am the only one who would ever want to be with someone as depressing as you."

He lifted His hand and I felt my body involuntarily tug back without hope—and then His cold, bony fingers were back on my cheek, trailing over my shivering skin.

"You spread darkness, and unhappiness."

His cold touch feathered over my cheekbone.

"You are a _disease_… unwanted, and contagious."

His fingers traced the skin bellow my eye.

"Such a… lonely… pathetic… little boy."

His cold fingers were summoning my tears; I felt their moist burning at the back of my eyes.

"So… depressing."

My skin seeped in the chill of His.

"So… alone."

His black eyes grew cold, and I tried to keep myself from whimpering, from falling to the floor and clutching at His kimono.

I was trying so hard not to fall to my knees.

"Do not misunderstand, Yuki." His voice was cold, an icicle tracing the raw edges of my internal wounds.

"Do not misunderstand, you are unwanted. Unwanted, and unneeded."

Familiar moisture stung at my nose and I tried to keep my tears in the back of my eyes.

"I am the only one who cares." He said softly, "I am the only one who can _handle_ you."

My arms tightened around my aching stomach—

I… I want to throw up…

_I want to throw up His words._

"If you open up to anyone else, they will push you away." He promised me in silent misery, "They will abandon you. _He_ will abandon you."

My lungs seized and I parted my lips in desperate attempt to breathe—

But there was no clean air here.

There was no clean air here…

The cold seeped into my lungs as I inhaled His promise, and my lungs quivered achingly in protest.

"He will abandon you, Yuki." His cold fingertips slid across my eyelashes… but I didn't dare to blink, in fear that my tears would overflow.

My vision blurred through the moisture of my tears, but I held it in… I tried to hold it in…

But He was pushing me out.

"I am protecting you, Yuki." He cooed gently, "I am protecting you from _yourself_."

_Don't… abandon me._

"In the end, all you will have… will be _me._" He ran His thumb underneath my tearing eyes and drew His lips close to my ear, and I felt His cold breath cascade against my shivering skin.

"_Everyone will abandon you."_

I didn't realise that I was hunching until all I could see was the shadowed floor.

My arms were curled around my stomach, as if my waist would slide off my hips if I let go.

As if I would separate if I let go.

Would it hurt… if I separated?

Would it hurt… if I let His words slice me into two?

Would it hurt… more then having _him_ abandon me?

"Do not misunderstand." His voice soothed into the black abyss of my existence. The vast void of my corrupt depression. The vacant chasm of my wallowing misery.

_No…_

_Nothing could hurt more then that._

I will not misunderstand.

Not anymore.

The moisture swelled in my eyes, and a single tear welled up and slid over the rim, clinging to my eyelash before falling away from me.

I unravelled my arms from around my waist…

And I separated into two.

**-End-**

**AN-**fwaa I've finally brought Akito in.

Please, **!Review!**


	57. Chapter 57

**AN-** Alright, i dont have the concentration to fix this up, so i'm keeping it like this till I have the brain capacity to edit  
and also:  
_-'text'-  
_when the words are in that format, it means that the person is going through (in their head) what someone else had said to them before. Like a memory flashback.  
and here we go:

**Edit: **I was planning on taking this down and editing it, but it's not a _disaster_, so i'll keep it up for now till i get time to concentrate on it.

**Chapter Fifty Seven**

(Yuki's POV)

_/I've been here before. I knew this place, this feeling; I've been here before.__  
__I was surrounded by darkness, completely consumed by the black. The shadows were thick in front of my eyes, and I saw nothing. There were no dark outlines of walls, or the faint glow of a silhouette. There was nothing. Only my loud breathing broke the impending silence as my lungs expanded and contracted painfully. My veins were stretching with my quivering, thick blood as it pulsed through me, and I felt my fingers begin to tremble. I didn't know whether my eyes were closed, or wide open—an unnervingly familiar feeling. And I was alone…__  
__I was… completely… alone…__  
__I reached up to touch my face, to find my eyes to see if they were open or not—but my quivering fingers found nothing. Only cold black. My breathing filled the air, and my blood gave a thick and sickening throb as it gushed painfully from the cockles of my heart. I tried to find my weak, hoarse voice; "Is someone there?" it rasped against my raw throat, "Please—is someone there? I can't find my face… please, I can't find my face…"__  
__Irrational fear coursed through me and my blood started to stick in my veins as my whole existence trembled in awed horror—then something beautiful caught my eye. A white glow against the pale darkness, and the light was drawing nearer. I was finally able to make out what this beautiful light was, and it took form of a hand. A pale white hand, reaching out to me with trembling fingers—and I realized that, through the beauty that filled me from this, it scared me. It scared me, I was horrified, irrationally horrified… but not of the hand. More because the hand was here, because it was __here__.__  
__As it came closer to me, I noticed that the pale white of the hand was not its skin, but a bandage that wrapped around the trembling limb. I watched, mesmerized, as the fingers began to quiver desperately—shaking violently, while fear pierced a dripping hole into my throbbing heart—and the bandage began to unravel before my wide, stinging eyes. "No—no!" a distraught fear ripped through my frozen veins and I reached out desperately—I couldn't let it unravel! I couldn't let the bandage unravel! But no matter how much I screamed in my head, and no matter how much fear leaked into my lungs, I could not stop it! My heart kept pounding painfully against my ribcage and the bandage was loosening, unraveling with brisk lethargy. I tried to reach out, to push the hand away—because somehow I knew if I got it away from me, it would be all right.__  
__Before I could register anything but the fear, the white bandage around the beautiful hand began to become drenched in thick, red ooze— the blood gushed, and the cloth was disappearing…__  
__And that's when I realized it. I couldn't touch it, because I had no fingers. I couldn't reach it, because I had no limbs. I couldn't yell at it, because I had no voice.__  
__I had no body.__  
__I was the black.__  
__I was the black that was killing it—/_

My body gave a sharp, painful jolt and my eyes snapped open.

Something was shaking through the air while I stared at the wall—and confusion swept through me when I realized that it had color.

I was cold. And I felt sticky.

It wasn't long until I realized what was shaking through the air—my quiet breathing. I clamped my lips together and forced myself to inhale slowly through my nose. My lungs, seized by the tense fear from my nightmare, were coaxed to expand.

It hurt, but I forced myself to breathe slowly and concentrate on physical things. I concentrated on how each muscle in my body seemed to be aching. I concentrated on how my shirt stuck lightly to my body from my sweat. I concentrated on how the air felt forcing my contracting lungs open.

I felt a pain slide into my hand, and I let my eyes wander down to see it clutching at my shirt. It was cramping from how tight I was gripping the fabric, and I tried to loosen my hold—but the feeling of having fabric in my hands… of having _anything_ in my hands was much too comforting after my nightmare.

My hectic breathing became less painful as my lungs finally stretched willingly while I concentrated on relaxing each individual, tensed muscle in my body. I felt my stomach loosely unclench as I finally accepted the fact that I was awake, and physically capable of contact. Everything was normal.

Everything was fine.

I made to swallow—but my throat was too dry, and my mouth was sticky and bitter, it's parched state demanding water. Keeping my fingers wound tightly into the fabric of my shirt, I slid into a sitting position and curled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my other arm around my legs and resting my forehead against them. I let out a breath that had managed to cling to my lungs, and focused on shoving my nightmare into the back of my mind. I didn't want to think about it.

There was too much to think about--and yet, nothing at all.

When I was sure I had control of my mind once more, I slid my eyes carefully closed, and basked in the black for a few moments, the feeling of my lungs expanding and shrinking underneath my ribcage defined and acute, just like the slow beats of my heart as they became less violent. I was waking up.

I finally let my fingers uncurl from their painful grip on my slightly damp shirt, and my hand immediately went limp, my muscles miserably weak. I unwrapped my arm from around my legs and slid my clammy hand over my face, my sticky skin sliding over the drying sleet of sweat. Shoving back my sheets, I slid my legs over the edge of my bed, and pushed myself up.

The room suddenly shifted its gravity, my blood draining from my head, as my knees buckled under the unexpected weight and I gripped my night table to keep myself from falling over. My vision speckled in black, and I shut my eyes until the buzzing in my head stopped. When my head rush faded, I opened my eyes to a clear vision on my room, and ordered my legs to carry me forward.

I opened my door—and suddenly became acutely aware of the silence that was drifting along the hallway. I stood still for a moment and I felt my ears strain in attempt to catch any noise… but I heard nothing.

The hallway was quiet. Empty. And silent…

The fear was back in my veins, faint panic licking at the surface of my nerves—and I walked along the hallway cautiously and scuttled down the stairs, into the kitchen.

It, too, was deserted.

My blood was flowing in a disconcerting pulse—the panic broke through the shell of my thoughts.

_Am I alone?_

I walked quickly over to the dining room and shoved the door open—but it, too, was unoccupied. My breaths were unattainable.

_Am I alone? Is it just me?_

_Am I alone in this house?_

I hated how scared I was—how desperately I was seeking _someone's _presence… and I rushed as slowly as I could down the other hall and pulled Shigure's office door open—

I was alone.

I stood frozen in the doorway, and let the fear, and misery consume.

_-'…such a… lonely boy…'-_

I clutched at the doorframe, and fought against the burning sensation in the back of my eyes.

I don't… _I don't want to be alone…_

_I'm all alone…_

My stomach started to clench inwardly again, and my lungs started to contract again—it was consuming, as if I had been plunged back into my dream… back into that room… _that room…_

A glimmer caught my eye—A slight shift of light.

I looked over the mountains of strayed books—and blinked as I took in the sunlight that bathed them in worn gold.

Flicks of dust drifted through the ray of light and it trembled—

My eyes wandered over to where the light was coming from… and I saw Shigure's porch doors open.

Fixing the strength back into my thighs, I walked forward, stepping over the tumbles of abused novels and reaching the sunlight…

I placed a hand on the doorframe, feeling the undeniable warmth from the sun on the bare skin of my arms and face, while my eyes caught sight of something that filled me with light relief…

"Hey." I said simply, leaning against the doorframe as Kyo's hot red eyes opened and looked over to me from where he lay on his back, bathing in the sun.

He blinked up at me, "hey," His hand fell on a weary novel beside him, and he tossed it up at me—

I caught it before it hit my body with ease.

"Go stick it under his hentai or sumthin, it's completely useless." Kyo locked his hands behind his head and slid his eyes back closed.

I straightened up and my eyes wandered vaguely over the plain navy cover of the book.

Yesterday… I had spent all of it in my room. The day before that as well. I didn't come out, not for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even Tohru. I couldn't lift myself from the sheets, I felt no desire to. I had wanted to think things through those two days, to try and comprehend where to go from here—but, like my usual weak self, I had pushed all of it aside, and locked it into the corner of my mind, permitting only to confront it when I sleep.

I tossed the book onto the ground and slid my back down along wall outside, pulling my knees up to my chin.

...he didn't look angry with me. He probably settled down his anger at me through the two days I hid myself away. At least some good came out of it.

...I shouldn't be happy. I shouldn't be glad or relieved—I should not count on him like that. I shouldn't hold such relief in him; weigh him down with my desperation. But even though I knew I shouldn't—

But Kyo was here… and I wasn't alone.

I was _relieved—_and that was a conceited feeling.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, my voice--though quiet--was a bit hoarse from my dry throat.

Kyo didn't shift, "Egn… Tohru's still at work and Shigure's hanging off a cliff by a branch, hopefully."

I blinked at Kyo, and his eyes slid open and found mine with a grimace on his face, "I don't wanna tell you what happened this morning, you have a good imagination."

The corners of my lips gave a tug—but something heavy weighed down my grin.

"Tohru was gettin' on my nerves." Kyo started, the agitation plain in his voice, and he looked at me accusingly, "You know how many times I had to tell her you weren't gonna die up there?"

I felt regret and shame pulse through me painfully, "I didn't mean to worry her—"

"_Everything_ worries her, ya idiot." Kyo scorned, "Anyways, I told her you'd come out when you wanted to."

I looked away, feeling completely ashamed of myself—I had shut myself in my room to avoid everyone, but instead I just managed to create more of a fuss over my _none-existent_ presence. How pathetic was that.

"She left food outside your room." Kyo continued, "It was really stupid, like putting cheese in front of a mouse hole, you really are a rat, ya know that?"

I glared at him, my offended blush warming my cheeks, "I am _not_. For your information, I did not—and definitely _wouldn't_—eat anything left outside my door."

"'course you didn't, there wasn't any there."

I looked at Kyo, "You just said…"

"Shigure got at it."

I slid my hand onto my forehead and let out an exasperated sigh, "Why do I live here…"

It was warm. I didn't know what it was—the sun, the summer air, being outside, or Kyo's presence that had faintly lifted the icy coils of my thoughts… but I felt warmer.

"… so what happened."

I lifted my hand from my face and looked at Kyo—who was assessing me with restrained eyes, "What'd He say to you."

Under his radiant eyes, I felt my insides unravel—and I quickly shoved up my guard, pulling up my shield, and looked away from him. "Nothing."

Kyo snorted bitterly, and I glanced back at him as he gave me an accusing look, "Yeah, 'course, cuz people lock themselves up in their rooms over _nothing_."

"I was _tired_." I shot back, feeling the instinct to defend my dignity, "And I don't want to talk about it."

"Get off it, what's the worst he could've said to _you_— was He angry that He has to share His _precious Rat?"_

My blood froze from his words and tone—it was bitter and harsh… and it hurt. _Why did that hurt?_ Confused enough already, I did not feel like I had the emotional strength to deal with Kyo, so I pushed myself up abruptly and with a bitter taste in my mouth I made to leave—

Then something caught my shirt. I looked back to see Kyo sitting up, his fingers latched onto the hem of my shirt, "What're you doing?" He asked as if he had no clue.

"I'm going back _inside_." I said in an insulting voice, and Kyo wrinkled his nose at me: "Why? You look like shit enough as it is, you don't need to go and hermit _again_—Jesus, stop being sensitive."

I wrinkled my nose at him, and grabbed onto his hand to pry it off— "Sorry for not taking it _lightly_." I said in a sarcastic voice and pulled off his grip. I turned to leave, and heard Kyo get to his feet and then his hand was on my arm—

His skin was _warm_—and I froze underneath it, my whole body tensing. I had expected ice cold skin—how can someone be so _warm?_

Kyo caught my sudden rigid state, and catching the hint, he removed his fingers from my arm. I slid my narrowed eyes at him, and he frowned at me. His eyes were voids of frustration, and were suddenly piercing into mine—so I looked defiantly away from him, glaring at the trees that swayed in the slight summer breeze drifting into the high sky.

"…ngnt. Look. I didn't _mean it_."

I glanced back at Kyo and crossed my arms over my chest—and he shoved a hand onto his hip, "K, fine, I meant a bit of it—cuz you do look like shit. But I didn't mean—" The words seemed to be trapped underneath his tongue, and he glared behind me, jaw setting as his cheeks seemed to warm a faint shade darker--out of frustration? He continued with a disgruntled voice, "I didn't mean to _offend_ you, you're just being a bit weird, and I'm just... aggravated. That's all."

I exhaled—of course he's all hot and bothered, that wasn't news at all.

Kyo stepped back and folded his hands on the back of his neck, weighing his head down as he looked at the floor, "Just don't… go back up there."

It was such an undefined mumble that I could have easily just imagined it—but when Kyo peered up at me from his eyelashes and through the curtain of his orange hair—I caught the pink tint in his cheeks.

Why were my insides turning to mush? Where did my shield go? And _why_ did I want to…

I curled my fingers into the fabric of my shirt to keep them from doing anything, and looked away from Kyo… when did he get so soft? When did he get to be such a comforting presence to me, even in his infuriation? There were too many questions, and they were just building up in my head—

A sudden aching sound rumble from my stomach which curled inside of my body, and I stared down at it, unfolding my arms. "… I'm hungry."

I felt Kyo hit my head and I looked up to see him scoffing at me, "Well _obviously_." He walked past me, and I leaned my body back as to not brush against his, and he walked into Shigure's office, kicking aside a pile of paperwork as he trudged through.

As if there were no sun out here anymore, I followed Kyo with earnest stepping—and although I was walking back into the shadow of the house, I didn't feel the dark. Kyo's vibrant orange hair was enough to bring life to the room, and when he disappeared through Shigure's door I found my steps quickening after him.

I wandered into the kitchen, trying to stay off his heels, and he tugged open the refrigerator, "She left _loads_ of food in here for you, we had to throw out this morning's left overs." Kyo bent down, and was hidden by the door. I walked over behind him and leaned in to see the shelves filled with the basic groceries—and the few plates covered in plastic saran wrap, labeled "Yuki-San's Breakfast" and "Yuki-San's Lunch" and "Yuki-San's Dinner".

"Bit of a fanatic, innit she?" Kyo said with an annoyed edge, "I offered to go and shove it down your throat, but that only made her panic more."

I normally would've given him a retort, but I was silent as I pulled out a dish of rice (one of the dishes labeled 'Yuki-San's Lunch') and walked away from the cool air of the refrigerator to the microwave. I pulled off the saran wrap and slide the dish into the microwave and turned it on. The faint buzzing filled the room as Kyo shut the refrigerator, the milk cartoon in his hand as he tipped it to his lips.

It was a few moments until I realized that I was staring at him—almost as if an answer to all of my problems, to all of the millions of questions bubbling underneath my mind would appear on his lean form. Or maybe I was just looking at _him_.

I averted my eyes and my dehydrated throat throbbed with dry plead, so I pulled open a cabinet and wrapped my fingers around a glass, lifting it out. I stepped up to the sink and turned of the water.

"… So what's wrong?" Kyo asked. I placed the glass underneath the running water and I feverishly pushed aside the nightmare that creeped back into my thoughts at the topic.

"Nothing's wrong." I lied, "Everything's fine--"

-And suddenly I was soaked.

I blinked, and noticed how the weight of my glass wasn't in my hands anymore. Kyo was holding the glass after splashing the water at me.

The offence finally kicked in and I glared at him, "Don't _splash me!"_

"_Don't lie to me."_

I was taken aback again at his sharp, sleek voice, low with threat—Kyo's air was suddenly thickened by warning, and disdain. His dangerous red eyes were searing into mine with evident admonition. He seriously looked _pissed off_. Offended… like I had _offended_ him.

Being out of my room was throwing even _more_ confusing things onto me.

"… Fine. Then I don't want to talk about it." I meant for my voice to be indifferent, but it held an edge of bewilderment and uncertainty. Kyo's flame settled down, and he slid his eyes closed, turning away from me and exhaled in silent frustration. He tugged open a drawer beside me and tossed me a dish towel.

I unraveled it in my hands and pressed my face into the rough fabric.

Why was he acting all weird? Doesn't he know how powerful his moods are? What's the big deal about me 'lying' over something so infantile, why did that bother him—maybe he just wanted an excuse to wreck havoc. Stupid, unpredictable, incomprehensible, Baka Neko…

…I want to go back to my room.

I want to go back, and curl up in my sheets, shove my face in my pillow, and lock out the world.

I didn't want to deal with this—with Kyo, with Akito's words, the blindfold being removed… I didn't have an excuse now. When I hit rock bottom, when I sink into that endless void--it will hurt even _more_, and I wouldn't have the excuse of not seeing it... of not knowing...

The line around my hips where I had separated two days ago burned, like a sharp icicle digging into an opened wound.

I didn't want to think about Akito… I didn't want to think about His words… I didn't want to feel this despair; I didn't _want_ to have the blindfold removed…

I wanted to lock myself up, and never show my face again… because I don't want to handle this. I don't _want_ to handle this…

"Oi," Suddenly the dish cloth was tugged away from my face and I stared into Kyo's curious, cautious eyes, "What the hell is with you?"

I scrambled—_shit!_ This is what I get for falling into those thoughts around him, why did that happen so easily, I usually had my guard up around _everyone_—

Kyo's eyes were shocked with recognition, "I didn't _depress_ you did I?!" He asked with bewilderment, and I wrinkled my nose before pushing the cloth into him, "Don't be stupid." I muttered.

A beeping echoed through the room, and I went to the microwave, tugged it open, and took out my steaming rice. I ripped open the paper and pulled out the chopsticks, discarding the wrapper.

I watched through the corner of my eye as Kyo lifted himself up onto the counter and rested his head against the wall, "Yo, you should pick up Tohru. She'll _freak _when she see's you."

"Wouldn't that be reason enough for me not to go?" I snapped my chopsticks apart and dug into my rice hungrily, "She can get a bit precarious when she's excited."

"But if you don't that damn _Cow_ will come over." Kyo complained in a frustrated voice, "I swear, if I have to walk with him _one more time_, I'll be sick."

I supposed that the reason Kyo and I still went on and off with walking Tohru to and from work is because Haru would easily feel obliged to walk her the whole way. She has gained responsibility in us, cooking, cleaning, brightening the room, making eating with Shigure _manageable_—but honestly, I believe we all find her incapable of walking the streets by herself… or more over, we just don't trust everyone else with her. We were all, undoubtedly, protective to different degrees over Tohru.

"… Alright." I agreed, despite my lack of enthusiasm over seeing Haru, who will most likely be there, and I ate my rice hungrily. The plain, sticky food tasted (bluntly) pretty gross while it mixed with the bitter flavor that was already filling my mouth. But I was too hungry to care.

"Besides you really look like you need some fresh air." Kyo put frankly, "Any paler, you're gonna be transparent."

"I've always been pale." I said indifferently before taking some more rice into my mouth.

Kyo's voice was a mumble, "There's a difference."

I peeked up at him, and he was looking away from me, his eyes guarded and his hand rubbing at the back of his neck. I swallowed—and decided that I ate enough to satisfy my hunger for now, so I opened the bottom cabinet and dished out the remaining rice into the waste bucket underneath the sink.

I turned on the tap, and rinsed out my bowl, "When's she off work?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Six-thirty." Kyo's voice was distant and absent—but I didn't look up at him.

At least, not until I felt his skin again.

His hand slid underneath my grey-silver bangs and onto my forehead tentatively—and my eyes stared up at him.

His eyes captured mine easily, "…you're cold." He tilted his head and appraised me, "feel sick or sumthin?"

Sick…? I'm feeling a lot of things right now, that'd be hard to tell…

His fingers slid off my skin, but his eyes still held mine—searching them. Then he brought his hand back up and tapped my head with his knuckle, "Cabin fever?"

Oh, come _on_, it was _two days_ not a _month_.

"I've lived with you this long and haven't lost it… I'd say I'm immune." I tried to brush it off, and Kyo dropped his hand and looked away from me, seemingly into some distant place, his voice a mere murmur, "…yeah… wonder if I'll be…"

I got the feeling he was talking about something I had absolutely no idea about, so I dropped it without pondering—I was already confused about too many things. I turned off the water, dropped my dish, and turned to leave.

Kyo held me back with a quiet grip on my shirt again—he liked doing that. He was very prone to habits.

I looked back at him… and my mind was whirling all over again, my emotions jumbling up as if they were tumbling through the washing machine.

Kyo's eyes were cautious, frustrated—but almost pleading. I waited for him to say something, like he usually did, but he just looked at me like he _wanted_ to speak but couldn't, like he was trying to tell me something with his eyes instead of his tongue.

The look had my heart pumping my blood at a quicker pace.

_-'…do I need to remind you?'-_

My heart gave a painful throb at the sudden memory, and I pulled out of Kyo's grip, "I… need to have a shower." I turned from him, and made my way across the kitchen and up the steps.

I counted my pulse in my head as I walked down the hallway, and I slipped into the washroom, closing myself in. I leaned against the door and stared at the wall.

_One—two-three, four—one-two—three…_

My heart slowed to its normal rate, and I let out a breath of air before lifting my hand to my shirt and unbuttoning it. I made work of it, concentrating on how smooth the fabric felt as it brushed against my fingers, and how slick the buttons felt as I pushed it through the slit of cloth. I shed my shirt from my shoulders, pinched the zipper of my pants and tugged it down, sliding out of them and my boxers.

I opened the shower door, and closed myself in, turning on the tap and feeling the bristling cold water pelt against my skin. The water pressure felt heavy, beating cold on my back. I leaned my head back and felt the chill wash over my face. I shivered in the cold, and ran my hands through my damping hair.

The cold was beginning to sink in, now that Kyo's presence and warmth was completely gone. His boyish voice wasn't breaking the impending silence, and his rendering eyes weren't breaching my lifeless surroundings.

I began to sink in the draining water… to sink, and I couldn't find the energy to keep _Him_ away any longer.

_-'Hopeless.'-_

I curled my arms around my waist.

_-'Empty.'-_

I leaned forward, trying to cease the pain that was slicing along my waist.

Yes. _Yes_ I feel sick. I feel deathly ill, I feel sick.

I lowered myself down, crouching on the shower floor, my arms wrapped around me, and the cold water stabbing my back further into the ground.

_But why would I tell you that. Why would you care to hear that._

I slid my eyes closed, and the freezing water became cold fingers, running up my spine.

_And why… do I want to tell you that._

The cold air became icy breath exhaling against my naked skin.

_And why do I want you to care?_

I felt Akito wrap His arms around me, and my body began to quiver around me.

_Leave me alone. Let me be alone._

(Kyo's POV)

At least he was out of his room—that was completely _Yuki_, to lock himself up. It was annoying being around the house without him, Shigure popping all those comments onto me, Tohru flailing about like some kind of over-steamed pot. I hated it.

I arched my back off of the couch and stretched my hands past the armrest, exhaling as I rested back into the cushions. He was out picking up Tohru, and I was sitting here staring at the stupid television, nothing to do.

I didn't want to go with him because… well, obviously, Haru would be there and I had _had it_ with all his questions about Yuki—he had known he went to see Akito. I mean… does it _look _like I'd know anything? I didn't want to be there and listen to whatever they had to talk about—besides, Yuki wasn't gonna tell me anything, so I was betting my bank account that he was just _spilling his heart out_ to that damn Cow right about now. Yuki and Haru have always had some sort of odd relationship, but they're close. Cuz they had intertwined childhoods or sumthin I guess.

…

_Our_ childhood story… well, that wasn't really worth remembering. And it would piss me off even more. I already wanted to chuck the remote at the damn T.V as it is.  
I was pacing the house for those first two days, wanting to barge in on Yuki and scream at him, throw a steaming pot at his head or something—I wanted to pound his face in, I wanted to cuss and swear and tare down the stupid house. It was offensive, to me, for some reason, that he didn't trust me. That he could do something like _that_ behind my back. But what pissed me off even more—is that I hadn't caught it. So the more I think about things, the more stuff I dig up that makes me _more_ agitated, and the more effort I'm putting in to keep the Television in one piece.

But in a way, I _guess_ I was glad that he stayed in his room—cuz it gave me some time to think things over myself. I had finally thought through all that I could without having a nosebleed, and I accepted the fact that Yuki was gonna do whatever the hell he wanted, and my say didn't mean shit-all. That's just the way it went. I couldn't change it, so why the hell get all frustrated about it.

It didn't change the fact that I was infuriated beyond normal human capacity at his lack of trust in me, but now I had realized that… I _would_ have done something stupid. I would have stormed into that goddamn room, grabbed Akito by the throat, and I would have _screamed_ and cursed and pledged a threat if He _ever_ touched Yuki again. And I would have made the situation worse. Just like Hatori said. So there you go, another thing for me to be pissed at myself over.

God _dammit_.

By the second day he was still keeping to himself, I had decided to be patient in reassuring Tohru that Yuki would come out when he wanted to, I was reassuring myself as well—of course, my thoughts weren't as pleasant towards Yuki… But _honestly_ what could Akito have said to bother him?

I finally came to a settlement that Yuki was just depressed over getting his wrist slapped—and I could bet that it was over me. What else would Akito want Yuki for? Yuki was probably just sulking that his level of love in the whole Akito range was knocked down a bar. It was a conceited way to think, but it's easier for me to understand.

I just wanted to _smash_ something, to feel it break underneath my fist, to feel some sort of _release_ to feel some sort of physical pain to amend this _frustration_ inside of me.

Seeing him out of his room a few days ago was an upside for me, of course—but he was hiding a lot. His eyes were guarded, and he went all weird and tense whenever I'd touch him. My tongue would spill out stupid things I didn't even realize I was saying, and then there'd be all these emotions in his eyes.

How can someone be so confusing? Was that normal? Tsh, of course it wasn't normal, Yuki was the most abnormal guy around. Nothing you'd expect. He's not _simple_, not like me, nobody can tell what the hell's going on in that goddamn head of his.

He stills hides away when he can. He comes out for dinner sometimes, and breakfast--lunch not as much. And I wondered if it was because of the company-- Shigure and I. Not like I blamed him, I wouldn't wanna face Shigure's blabbering... and when he didn't blabber, he'd be sending very _conspicuous_ glances between us, and that only made the tension higher for me.

I had to force myself not to touch him lately. I guess it was just natural for me now, feeling the right to be physical with him. I was so used to a lack of distance between us--actually, I didn't realize how often I touched him until I started having to restrain myself from it.

I was used to being close to him, to shoving my hand in his face or tugging at his hair, or curling my fingers around his, or doing less subtle gestures—I was used to that. But his behavior clearly showed that I'm gonna have to ease up on that. I didn't want him to freak out on me or something and keep his distance. He'd get over this weird phase of his. I'm just not a patient person.

"Kyo-Kun! Yuki-San and I are home!" Tohru called as I heard the door pull open. I snorted—you could tell immediately that she was ecstatic over Yuki's presence these past few days.

Hopefully that'll be enough to keep him from hiding out in his room like a mouse all day... but it was (evidently) not enough to keep him from disappearing every now and then.

I clicked the power button on the television, and the bright image on the screen consumed itself as I tossed the remote carelessly onto the coffee table. I heaved my body off the couch and wandered into the kitchen, leaning against the doorway and looking at the scene in front of me: Yuki was courteously taking Tohru's bag for her, as she was already rolling up her sleeves in preparation to start dinner.  
I've told her over the past days that she has time to change and all before starting dinner, but she'd always fuss about how late it always was when she got off work. Apparently, not even that glossy smile from the Prince could make her see things otherwise.

Oh yeah, Yuki was the Prince again. Guarded eyes, careful expression, holding himself with a protective air—and that slight smile on his face, that wasn't really a smile. No, there was no air of ease around him. There wasn't that aura of calm and leisure around him like I had been so used to by now. Yuki was guarded. He has been for the past few days... and it didn't seem to be letting up.

I finally zoned into the conversation as I heard Tohru say my name, "What would you like me to make? I'm sure Kyo-Kun wouldn't mind if I made something with Leeks… Leeks would be good for you, you're looking a bit sick…"

Yuki smiled that Prince-get-up smile of his, "No, actually, I ate before I left, I'm sorry, Honda-San. I think I should go lie down, I'm feeling a bit tired."

"…Are you really sick?! I can make you some soup! And you should have a bath! A warm bath! That would be good, yes!" Tohru panicked and I smirked as Yuki's expression became repentant at the state he threw Tohru into. Idiot.

"No, really, Honda-San, I hate to be a bother to you—"

"You're not a bother! I want you to feel better! Are you sure you don't want any dinner, because I would love to make you some, I'd feel so awful if you went hungry! I should make you something now in case you start getting hungry! Really, I ca—"

"Just let 'im _go_."

Tohru and Yuki looked over to me at my agitated interruption and I caught Yuki's glance with my own, "He'll be grumpy if he doesn't get what he wants. And if he can't find anything to eat in here, then he deserves to starve." My voice was a bit indifferent, but I held Yuki's eyes with a firm look.

I know he knows that I'm stubborn, like him. But I'm also impatient, _un_like him.

Yuki looked away from me, "Thank you, Honda-San… I'm sorry; I didn't mean any disrespec—"

"Oh no no none at all!" Tohru hurled into another rambling, "You must get your sleep if you're tired! Definitely! Go, go! You must sleep!" Tohru willed, and Yuki gave her another one of his princely smiles before departing… he didn't spare a glance at me.  
Honestly, I didn't care.

I didn't want him to look at me with those guarded eyes—that would only aggravate me even further.

**-End-**

**AN-** this chapter is about Eight pages. Would you rather they be longer--or is this length already too long? Since you're the ones that have to read it, then I think you're say is important.  
-In one hand, the shorter chapters will be posted more frequently, and be easier to read--but then there would be a _lot _more chapters.  
-On the other hand, if the chapters are longer... you will get more in one chapter, and the chpt. numbers wont be riddiculously high--but they wouldn't be posted as often (i'm not saying like every _week_. It would vary.) and they would take longer to read.  
If it doesn't matter to you, then I'm just gonna go with however long I choose it to be (Which I _will_ be doing in some cases anyway.) but I can't write chapters any shorter then 8 pages... I'm sorry, I just can't.

**edit: **jo--so i took this down for editing, but i think i'll keep it up for now for all you who're just reading this cuz... thats just cruel.

**!Review!**


	58. Chapter 58

**AN: **not one of my favorite chapters, but for the sake of moving forward I give you 58!

**Chapter Fifty Eight**

(Yuki's POV)

"Maybe I should intervene."

"Please don't."

"I'll only set things askew." Haru mused, "…it would all unravel faster."

"There's nothing to unravel," I said, my firm voice was softened by my weary tone.

Haru and I had just dropped Tohru off at work for her late-lunch shift, and we were nearing the turnoff to where we would separate—but honestly, that turnoff wasn't coming fast enough. Haru has been prying over the whole Kyo subject since he wasn't completely infatuated with Tohru's chatting. He was always so captivated by other people's lives, even though you had to look hard to catch the interest.

I didn't like how he seemed so interested in me. It made me self-conscious, in a way. Like someone's hacking away the lock on my front door, or ripping off my clothes. It made me want to stumble back, to run. It was an unwelcomed intrusion, and I felt guilty for feeling so hostile towards Haru when all he's done—all he's ever done—was purely care.

It just wasn't something I wanted from him. He was anything but selfish, and that just made me feel even more dirty and useless.

"I think you and Kyo just need a real heart-to-heart chat." Haru mused as we turned a corner.

I looked away from him, "I don't think he's looking for a 'chat'." And that was the last thing I was looking for. Talking, to Kyo, was roaring until the walls shake then throwing a few fists before more moronic screaming.

Lately Kyo's either been snapping and forcing his moody self on me, or ignoring me. I was the latter plenty of the time, mostly because he was usually the former. I didn't like it when he acted so hostile towards me, and I just didn't understand _why_—then I'd get lost in my head, and I hated that… I'd rather be out of my head, then near him. He mixed things up. He scrambled all my thoughts, until none of it makes any sense. It was easier to be in control of myself when I wasn't near him.

It wasn't like I wanted to push Kyo away… he's just been so hostile lately, and in reaction I pulled up my own defense—and now the air between us…  
Is just so unreceptive.

I don't even know who started pulling back first.

It just—happened.

So suddenly, unexpectedly, but _mutually._

We both pushed at the same time… so the distance between us doubled.

"Oh yes he is," Haru continued, "He's always looking like he's about to jump into the street and lift up a car with a vicious roar before throwing it over a building."

I looked up to the buildings surrounding us and couldn't help but picture Haru's words.

"Why are we talking about this…" I mumbled, "It's not like that's anything new."

"Actually, Yuki, he's usually in a pretty good mood." Haru said, and when I scoffed silently in disagreement, he continued, "It corresponds with yours."

I sighed, "Haru, please try to make sense."

"I mean that your mood affects his." Haru said simply, "You might not notice it, but it's pretty obvious."

"Can we stop talking about this." I glanced down the street before stepping onto the road with Haru, who replied, "But it's so interesting."

"There's nothing interesting about Kyo and I." The words were so utterly stupid and only a complete idiot could say that and believe it, but my defiant mood was tickling at me with agitation, "I don't pry about your relationship with Tohru—which I have the right to do." I added firmly as we scaled the street and stepped back on the sidewalk.

"oh… I see."

I felt something tug on the back of my shirt, and I turned around as Haru's grip on my clothing had me stopping with him. He looked at me through his grey eyes and placed a hand on my shoulder, "Yuki… you will always be my first love."

I blinked at him.

"No one can compare with your everlasting beauty in my gazing eyes—" I pulled out of his grip instantly at _this _spiel, and my voice was firm and agitated, "_that's not what I meant!"_

Haru shrugged it off and walked forward with me falling easily into step with him in my now disgruntled state, "I _meant _that it's none of your business what goes on between Kyo and I."

My cold, firm voice didn't affect Haru, and apparently neither did my words, "I can be concerned. You always close up after seeing Akito—" I flinched at the sudden subject "—I was just interested in how you would act now—"

"I'm not an _experiment_, Haru." I was being cold out of my instinctive defense, and Haru replied unscathed by it, "No. you just tweak my interest."

I narrowed my eyes at the ground; I don't want to talk about this. I don't want to talk about this. I don't want to talk about this.

"So was it the usual?" his casual air over the Akito-subject made my insides cringe even more.

"_none of your business."_ I tried to keep my voice even and my teeth unclenched as the words slid past my lips in a cold warning.

I didn't think of Haru as stupid—but you really had to _nail _something through his head before he got it. Either that, or he was doing this on purpose.

The problem wasn't all Kyo's fault, I'll admit that—I've been in a terrible mood, I always am after a session with Akito;

I didn't feel guilty at my relief when I left Haru at the turnoff to walk home alone.

(Kyo's POV)

It's not like I count the days that have gone by, or the times I've snapped at him, or the countless moments when he's walked away from me almost indifferently.

It's not like I keep track of any of it—but it's been happening a hell of a lot more then I wanted it to.

I just get agitated and things come out—it just happens. But maybe it'd be happening less if he'd do something about it! Like, hell, I dunno, talk back maybe? Throw back an insult? Shove back a retort? Return a glare—_something!_

But no, he just decides to ignore it all… but that only makes me more irritated. The more irritated I get, the more crap comes out of my mouth, and the more distant he becomes with me—and what the hell is with that? It's a vicious circle that's slicing me deeper each time, and eventually it'll saw through my bones and I'll start falling apart and spewing guts everywhere. And hell, no one wants _that_.

Erg, except the Prince of course, he seems pretty damn excited to see _that _happen. He loves manipulating me, he loves controlling my emotions, he loves pushing me around like his damn pet—and I'm getting sick of this! What the hell am I supposed to do, just ignore it all? He's _in my head _every day; I can't get him out…

Even with his stubborn attitude, he's still tangling my thoughts in his long pale fingers… and I know he loves it.

I leaned my forearms onto the wooden railing that was framing the front porch, and as I hung my head I spat onto the dirt bellow out of boredom.

This is just stupid. I don't get this. I'm so goddamn confused with myself.

I've been up on the roof all morning, and I came down to make off somewhere—but I ended up against the railing as I am right now, trying to think of _where _to go, of what the hell to do. I don't usually think about that sorta thing, I just start walking, or I go off in a run, it doesn't matter to me where I go, or what I do—I just have to feel my feet on the ground, to move past things, to go _somewhere_.

But something's holding me back right now—

I didn't have time to think into that any further, because my ears caught the sound of footsteps, and I lifted my head to see someone emerge from the path.

Fueled by my mental ranting, I felt hot determination boil underneath my skin.

Good. It's been a while since he's shunned me, I was starting to feel deprived.

I pushed myself away from the railing and I stepped down the porch. I saw the slight hesitation in Yuki's step as he caught my movement, but it was so subtle that I could've just imagined it in order to keep my motivation stirred. I got intimated when he closed off.

It was like he was unreachable.

I approached him as he kept his own stepping even, and he slowed to a stand-still before I mimicked the action with a few paces in between us still.

I gave him an expectant look as he mirrored the action.

-Nice, just go marching up to him without anything to say, bright idea, Kyo, way to be smooth.

Yuki sighed at my silence, "What is it."

He seemed a bit agitated, more then he's been of late, and that gave me a spark of hope as I spoke, "You tell me."

That seemed to tweak Yuki's agitation as his disgruntled voice made it evident, "I can't read your mind, sorry."

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a testing look, "Bet you can, shouldn't be that hard."

"I don't have time for this." He said dejectedly as he made to move past me, but before he could get out of reach my hand snapped out to grab the front of his shirt and pull him back around to face me, "I'll give you a hint; it's got sumthin to do with _you_." My voice was challenging.

"I _said_—" Yuki pried my hands off his shirt effortlessly with a glare, "_I don't have time for this_."

"Why're you doing that!" I barked at him, already ditching the act-calm idea, and he turned from me dismally.

"I'm not doing anything." His voice was firm and final as he stepped onto the porch, and I was already past him, shooting up the steps to stand in between him and the door, "You're _ignoring me!" _I accused in a demanding tone as he was evidently displeased with my persistency.

"I find that difficult to believe when you're shoving yourself in my face." He shot with narrowing eyes—and I felt my motivation spark at his tone and near glare. It was the most reaction I've been able to get out of him and my retort was instant, "Maybe cuz you won't look at me otherwise!"

"Sorry if I'm not in the mood to _entertain you_—" His voice was sharp and accusing, and mine mimicked it as I said the first words my tongue could form, "You _should be!"_

"This is stupid," Yuki grumbled before shoving me aside, "Move,"

I grabbed his shirt and pushed him back from me—he stumbled down the porch steps with more grace then anyone could've accomplished, and he looked at me in agitated shock, "Don't push me!" He exclaimed in a voice that matched his expression.

"Stop _ignoring me!"_ My voice was just bellow a yell as I felt myself fume, my blood thick in my veins, "What the hell is with you?"

"You're the one pushing me around!" He barked back, and I stepped off the porch to advance towards him with an accusing voice, "Not gonna get anything through you if I don't!"

"I get that you're being an _immature jerk!" _He shot, "I don't appreciate sudden violence, thanks!"

"So you're not gonna listen to me, then?" I challenged in infuriated accusation, and Yuki shoved his arms across his arms as he replied, "No, I'm _not_."

My anger boiled on underneath my skin—he's acting like a _kid!_ He's being a goddamn stubborn _kid!_

"Oh, sorry, of _course_," My voice reeked with sarcasm, "The only person _you'll _listen to is _Akito."_

I got a different reaction this time. Some naked expression flittered across his face for a moment, and I saw him flinch slightly in shock at the sudden subject—but this only fueled me to continue, "You'll listen to every damn thing He says, _wont you_?" My voice was harsh and accusing.

"_Don't. Talk about Him."_

His voice was low, slick with warning, and cold with defiance like his suddenly piercing eyes.

Unfortunately, the caution my instincts were pleading for me to take was drowned by my stubborn agitation that was prickling my skin, and my voice was condemning, "What—don't want me saying anything about your _precious Akito?"_

The emotion flickered across his face again and he backed away from me a step as his eyes grew defensive, "I said—_don't talk about Him_."

I advanced on him like a predator, that slight flicker of vulnerability the lure to my instincts, "Why not? Don't want me bashing Him? You don't think I know what this's about?" My voice was hot with provocation, and sharp with insult, while Yuki's voice was a warning, "Shut up, Kyo."

"Who d'you think you are, huh? _The king of the fricken world?"_ I shot, my rage bubbling inside of me and buzzing in my head—I've been keeping so much anger inside, "_Y'think you're too damn good for everyone else, is that it?"_

"Shut _up _Kyo!" Yuki demanded, and I dismissed the warning with harsh accusation, "You _love it _don't you! You _love _all the attention! _You love being so damn important_!" My infuriation singed my innards, "You _love _having _everyone _wrapped around your goddamn finger! You just LOVE _spitting _in EVERYONE'S FACE!"

"It's better then _yelling in them!" _Yuki snapped, and the aggravation boiled over and I shoved him back again before yelling, "WHY DON'T YOU JUST GO BACK TO AKITO AND HAVE A _HAPPY FUCKING TIME BEING LOVED THEN, HUH?" _I screamed, "YOU LOVE IT, DON'T YOU? _YOU LOVE BEING AKITO'S FAVORITE PET!" _the reaction on Yuki's face was so naked I went with that-_ "THAT'S ALL YOU ARE TO HIM, Y'KNOW!" _I yelled in his face, "YOU'RE JUST A _GODDAMN PET-"_

_**-slap-**_

_-/'you disgusting creature!'\-_

…

I stared at the ground where my head had twisted on impact.

My cheek stung like a million needles pricking where Yuki's palm had whipped across my face.

The fast sharp noise thickened the dead silence.

…that…

…that hurt.

I blinked.

Wow, that… really hurt…

I had expected a fist, or an air-born heel, even slashing words… I expected to feel pain, to feel that hot raw pain of bone colliding bone in a cracking impact…

But what I felt now wasn't that kind of pain. It started inside, grabbed my heart in frozen talons and squeezed it until my blood was pushing against the walls of my veins…

It was a familiar sensation.

_Disapproval._

I blinked again… and slid my eyes up to Yuki.

I was… shocked, to see that the expression wasn't condemning, wasn't a disgusted sneer, or a repulsed shadow…

He was staring at me as if in disbelief to his own gesture—but if there was any remorse, I didn't see much.

I had deserved it.

…I quickly ran over the last few seconds, but now that the words had already spilled from my mouth I felt completely betrayed by them, and shameful that they were uttered from my lips.

…they just came out, I was grabbing at anything I could…

He took in a shaky breath, and his fingers curled into each other almost in repent, but his eyes had already accepted his actions as he kept his voice clean, though it quivered from his breath, "You don't know… how I feel."

I searched his eyes, looking for something—he wasn't mad.

He wasn't mad?

Who the hell slaps someone when they're not _mad_?

Yuki took in another breath, appraised me almost somberly before turning his face from mine to look at the ground as if in guilt, then he broke his frozen stance and made to move past me.

I let him walk by me without interference.

I listened to his footsteps as if they determined my life-span.

They were even, paced. Soft and muffled against the dirt.

And the sound turned more hard and dull when he walked back up the porch.

Then my head was buzzing—thoughts were flashing through my mind too fast to be coherent, and my eyes searched the ground—

He slapped me—he slapped me, and I'm just gonna leave it at that?

_I'm just gonna leave it at that!_

_WHO THE HELL IS HE TO INTIMIDATE __ME__?_

I swung around and nearly ran after him into the house, my blood pulsed through my body in waves reverberating from my hot heart as I was over the threshold and latching onto his arm before he could escape out of my sight and I spun him around to me, "_That's it!"_

Yuki blinked at me, and I shoved him back into the living room, "You're just gonna slap me and _leave?" _I demanded, advancing towards him as he backed up at my aggressive approach further into the living room, "You gonna start a fight and just _bail!"_

"I wasn't starting a fight!" he said, but the cold edge he held earlier was gone, "I was trying to get you to _shut up!"_

"It'll take more then _that _to _shut me up!" _I challenged as the heat of a challenge beat hot into my heart, and I shoved him back again, "You too chicken to just _hit me!"_

"Haven't you had _enough?" _I would have noticed the delicate edge of a faint plea in his voice if my fury wasn't invading my mind, and my retort was ignited, "_Why? Was that _ALL YOU GOT?"

"What are _you _waiting for?" Yuki said in an almost honest voice, his eyes still laced with that naked gleam, "Why don't _you _hit me?"

I sneered at him and he shoved at my shoulders, and the sudden force made me stumble back a few steps as he advanced back towards me, and the air around him was suddenly protective and cold, "I'm not stopping you!" he sounded almost desperate as his eyes glistened over in that concealing sheen. He was closing off again—

That unpleased stare, those cold hard eyes, that _your-not-worth-my-time-Baka-Neko _air, the sharp edge of his shoulders—I didn't feel it, I didn't feel that strange _connection _we've developed, I didn't even realize that we had one, but now that Yuki was completely rigid and treating me _exactly _like he had before—I felt the anger rushing through me, my fingers trembling with infuriation, my instinctive disgust towards this side of him.

The growl in my throat was guttural as the heat of adrenaline started to boil my blood, but he wasn't finished provoking me and he grabbed my collar before shoving me back again, "Come on, you haven't even _tried _yet!" He demanded his eyes filled with disdain, "If you're so angry with me, then why don't you just _do something about it!"_

His voice was condescending and challenged my dignity, and my chest tightened in my instigated anger, maybe it was instinct—but my blood turned black and my vision blurred in fury as he glared at me through those hard impenetrable eyes, "Come on and just _hit me then!"_

My rage exploded like hot magma from my heart to consumed every human thought, until Yuki's back thudded against the wall, my fist in his shirt from slamming him back, and my head pounding like the deafening bass of thundering music, dull and reverberating throughout my body in waves of hot, indescribable fury; I couldn't see through a sudden sheet of red that glazed over my cornea as I felt my body shove my elbow back, my hand clenching into a rock hard fist, and I threw it forward in fury—

The impact cracked through my knuckles and the hot pain ricocheted up my clenched fist as I glared into Yuki's shocked eyes, the thudding noise splitting the air. My peripheral vision was completely lost in black from my rage—but I could see through the invisible sheet of red that my fist had collided with the flat, hard wall beside Yuki's face.

Oh, come _on!_

I pulled my elbow back again—_hit him!—_and my fist slammed through the air—

The flat hard wall crunched my knuckles as they collided again with a sickening crack.

I stared at Yuki—_what the HELL! Why the hell can't I just HIT HIM!_

HE HIT _YOU! _HE SLAPPED _YOU! _JUST _HIT HIM, GODDAMMIT!_

I tried to pull my elbow back again—but my knuckles stayed shoving into the indent they left in the wall…

_I… I can't hit him…!_

I stared at Yuki and he stared back at me—that veil momentarily shaken to reveal his shock.

_Why… why can't I just…_

I shoved myself away from him-_WHY CAN'T I JUST HIT HIM!_

"God_dammit!" _My raging growl ripped from my clenched teeth, and I grabbed a fistful of my hair and tore at the roots as I back away—_WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?_

"_RAAAH_!" my roar burst from my tight throat as I twisted my body to torpedo my leg through the air and the shattering noise split the atmosphere as my foot smashed into the television, blue sparks erupting through the exploding screen as I felt slight stabbing pains from the shards of glass that tore into my skin through my clothing—

I ripped my foot from the screen as broken fragments clinked against the floor, and in my fury I grabbed the Television and felt the aching raw pain as my biceps rippled to launch the weight of the Television across the room—it slammed against the wall in a noisy crash, but I didn't wait to watch because my legs were moving me as I stormed through the room and made my thundering escape from this monstrous scene that engulfed me in horrifying emotions.

_Fuck._

_This._

(Yuki's POV)

"Yuuuki… what was that crashing noise…"

Shigure's voice brought me back to the present as I felt my heart start to pump in sharp short jolts.

I tore my eyes away from the dismantled television lying in a cracked heap and looked up to see Shigure popping his head into the doorway to inspect the scene—and his eyes bugled from their sockets when they took in the evidence.

"…My _Television!_"He squealed in shock as I kept my back pressed up against the wall. Shigure tip-toed with evident misery as he crept into the room and loomed over the wrecked piece of junk and his face fell into a very impressive pout, "I-it's ruined! Smashed to pieces! Completely destroyed! Why the _television?" _he whimpered as he slumped his back and looked over to me, "What happened?"

I opened my mouth—but nothing came out, so I closed it and tried again "H-he just… kicked it and… then he kinda… threw it…?" The shock in my voice heightened the pitch.

…I wasn't exactly… shocked at the whole television bit, Kyo was a brute, when he got in a fit he was predictably moronic to the level of having capabilities beyond human measures (throwing a television set being _way_ down on that list), but…

What had me so shook was how he had resorted to kicking the TV in, instead of me.

He never backed down from me, he never held back from me like that—_never._

He just hasn't done it lately because I hadn't given him a reason to… but he just…

I would've ducked out of the way the moment my back hit the wall, the instinct was screaming for me to. The instinct that I gave myself over to whenever Kyo threw himself at me in desire of a fight—I always had that instinct with me when he was a threat, and for some reason it didn't register or something because I hadn't moved… But now that I thought about it, I did feel that knowledgeable pull—it was there, screaming, but I had ignored it.

…I've ignored that instinct before. The last time Kyo had accepted my challenge for a fight—I shoved aside that instinct to see what it would feel like to have his fist crack against my cheek… but he had stopped just inches from contact.

But _that _time—the instinct wasn't as strong, probably because Kyo wasn't giving himself over to his anger, or advancing me with rage or deep repulsion. _This_ time, though—Kyo was blinded by it, I saw it in his eyes… I could imagine Hell to have that fire he held in his eyes. It was menacing.

I ran through the moment through my mind again… and I searched for the reason why I hadn't responded to that instinct.

I came out with one unconscious desire… that I was actually counting on him.

I instigated him, not just because I was agitated beyond belief, or shoving up that wall to protect myself, or to push him away from those hot words that had scolded my innards… but because I wanted him to hit me. I wanted Kyo to take it out on me, I wanted to him slam my face in, I wanted him to make me bleed, to make me ache with pain—I wanted to know how that would feel.

I'm usually afraid of pain, of anything that can hurt me…

But for some reason… the thought of it coming from _Kyo_…

I didn't finish the sentence.

In a way, it disturbed me. It disturbed me greatly… and did no help to these already colliding thoughts coiling endlessly inside my mind.

I let my lungs relax from their tight grip in reaction to my former anxiety, and I walked away from the wall, my legs melting from their icy rigidness as I stepped past Shigure, but he didn't let it go unnoticed, "Yuki, do you have to make him destroy my belongings?" He pouted.

"I didn't make him do anything." My voice was back to its normal pitch and didn't waver as I walked out of the living room.

I was across the kitchen and walking up the stairs when the emotions kicked it.

The shock that still dwindled in the front of my mind, the anxiety that was squeezing my lungs tight, the morose that was weighing down my pumping heart, and the less defined agitation that was making my palms tingle with the need to fidget.

I made my way down the hall, pushed my door open and closed it behind me before strutting to my bed and sliding my body onto it.

I lay on my back for a moment, my eyes scanning the white ceiling above me…

It wasn't a big deal. So Kyo didn't hit me, even after I had, so he smashed a television and stormed out… it wasn't a big deal.

That was _Kyo _wasn't it? Unpredictable and infuriated?

…yes, that's him, but that was also so completely uncharacteristic.

He's never let me take a hit on him, and let it go—at least he came after me. But he's never held back his rage with me. He's never done that. He's held back from hitting me before, but that wasn't…

It wasn't when he was in his rage; he _never _just let it go in his rage.

I furrowed my brow in exhausted confusion—he crushes everything I predict, counters my rationality with his irreverent nature. It's a clumsy and confusing dance—but it's the most exciting dance I've ever preformed.

For some reason—I saw it as a big thing. The way he pushed away from me, grabbing his hair in remarkable frustration. That confused, agitated look in his eyes as he stared at me after slamming his fist inches from my face—almost as if he didn't understand something. The way he advanced on me before, and that _look…_

That _look _he gave me right after I had slapped him.

He looked like… he looked like a kid.

Like a scolded child.

…it… it made me feel like…

I clenched my eyes shut and rolled onto my side to bury my face in my hands.

_I'm just like my Mother._

…I don't think… I've ever felt so miserable over hitting him in my _life_.

It was that _look._

_Why does he have to __be like that__?_

I groaned and rolled onto my stomach, burying my face into my pillow.

It had hurt. More then anything I, as a human, have felt for so long… those words, spilling from his lips, lathered in his voice, ignited with those accusing eyes…

It hurt more then I thought it would.

... I didn't realize how much of an impact Kyo could have on me... has it always been this way? If he had said those things to me before, would they have hurt just as much?

Or... have I gotten in too deep? Are we really in that deep with each other? In deep enough that it wasn't much the _words_, but the voice that had me wanting to curl up and die inside.

...oh Kami, when did this start to happen?

I shoved every thought away from me, pushed it back into the corner of my mind and kept it deep in the bowels of my consciousness. I didn't want to think about this.

I don't want to think about this, I don't want to think about this, just ignore it all.

Just ignore it all, it doesn't matter.

None of this matters.

I've been lying on my bed for a while, my spine becoming stiff in place, but my face too comfy in the shield of my fluffy pillow to coax me into switching onto my back.

I wasn't asleep, I wasn't taking a nap—I can't take naps, either I go all the way under, or I'm awake—I was just lying there like a useless sack of skin. I was trying not to think of anything, and it was working, from concentrating so hard on pushing them aside, I finally accomplished it.

The feelings, however, weren't so easy to leave behind.

My thoughts, the words in my head, they had forms. The words took form in my mind, and thus gave me the illusion of being physical. In that way, I was able to mentally push them aside as if I was doing it physically.

Feelings—emotions, however… were not words. They took no form.

They were smoke, fog, uncatchable, and always escaping to fade whenever they want, and to swarm wherever they want. I could wave my hand through it, dissipate it slightly, but it didn't disappear. Emotions, feeling—I couldn't grab, I couldn't hold, I couldn't shove away or bring close… but I could dwell in it, I could let it consume me, fill my lungs, but I couldn't _touch _it.

'Kyo' was a word. I could shove that away.

But _Kyo… _was an uncatchable fog.

_-knock- -knock-_

I lifted my face from my pillow as the door opened, and a boy slipped into the room—

If my eyes had registered a pile of fiery orange hair, then maybe I would've sat up. But instead there was a ruffle of sharp white hair above the roots of soft black strands, so I let my face fall back into my pillow.

"Sensei informed me that you've been up here since you got back."

Haru's voice was simple and almost uninterested as he approached my bed. I didn't reply and instead listened to him slump down next to my bedside table.

"Hm."

I sighed into my pillow, and felt my head start to buzz—so I pushed away all the consuming thoughts once more before rolling onto my side and lifting myself into a sitting position.

"So he can throw Televisions…" Haru mused, "Next: Cars. Just like I predicted."

"Don't even joke about that." I mumbled.

Haru must've caught my mood, and altered his approach by just being silent.

I brought my knees up and looped my arms around them loosely as I stared at the fabric of my pants. The dark navy blue threads wove in a criss-cross pattern, and grew more faded as they reached my knee. The threading felt like my stomach—tight and worn.

A sigh escaped my lungs, "I slapped him."

I said it like a shameful confession.

"…everyone needs a good slapping."

I rolled my eyes at his logic.

"I have Tohru give me the old one-two every now and then—"

"Haru—please." I was in exhaustion, winding my fingers together and nibbling at my lip.

He gave me a moment of silence.

"…and it bothers you."

His question turned into more of a statement of understanding and I nodded slightly.

"…ah. Well one would feel guilty over backhanding an arrogant cat…"

"I didn't _backhand _him." I corrected—and I suddenly wished I would have. For some reason, I felt like Kyo might have taken it more predictably if I had. I've backhanded him before, when he was being a complete idiot and inconsiderate fool—so that wasn't very personal.

Oh fantastic, so things are _personal _now.

"So—what did he do?" Haru asked nonchalantly, and I looked away in guilt.

I felt the need to defend myself, "He was being _mean_." —and I couldn't help but feel a bit pathetic over sounding like such a child, so I shook my head to try again, "He was being a jerk," I insisted "He was saying all these things that I didn't want to hear… I didn't want to hear him say those things…" I rephrased it until it felt honest on my tongue.

"So you slapped him."

"I didn't _mean _to." I said, lifting my hand, "He just kept yelling and my hand just shot out and…" I looked at my hand—and I was suddenly disgusted by it. I let out a groan and slumped my head onto my knees.

"You hit him all the time, Yuki." Haru said after a moment of my silence.

"It was different; he didn't get mad at me."

"He didn't get mad?" Haru repeated—but the possible incredulous tone his words held was faded by his nonchalant voice.

"Well, not right away, but he did…" I corrected again, "Afterward, when I went into the house—that's where the whole television massacre comes in." My lungs felt heavy, "He was really mad at me…"

"He decided to show off his impressive brute strength?"

"No…" I shifted and buried my face deeper in my knees, "He was kinda… he got really frustrated over something, but he wouldn't hit me back so he… threw the television across the room after kicking a hole in the screen."

I said in the last bit with an uninterested voice, completely exhausted at the whole situation.

I sighed, "He got really mad at me… but he didn't hit me, even after I did." The remorse and guilt was finally kicking in, and suddenly what he said seemed justified.

Haru was silent for a few moments, and I nibbled on my lip… am I talking too much?

"Ah. So you have come to a realization."

I lifted my face from my knees and looked over to him in question, "Realization?" I asked, "About what?"

Haru tapped his temple, "That he's changed."

For some reason my mind felt the necessity to reject Haru's words, "No, he hasn't."

"If he hadn't, do you really think he would hold back from throwing himself at you in a raging ball of fury?"

…I guess that was… maybe a bit true. I had to push him around to get him to snap, even though it was pretty clear that he was boiling over.

I didn't answer Haru. 'Maybe a bit true' wasn't _true_. It wasn't _change_. There was no change; change is what happens to functional people who know where they're going in life.

Kyo and I… were anything but that.

"You've changed, too."

"No, I haven't." I said firmly in quick reflex—I didn't want to get into whatever delusional thoughts Haru made up between Kyo and I. "Neither of us has _changed_, we've just…" I searched for an explanation, "We've just found a tolerable ground between each other."

"… Maybe this ground has some sort of mysterious changing abilities." Haru offered, "… you know, you usually wouldn't get so distressed over such slight things. I think that might be a bit of an adjustment in you."

"He hasn't changed _anything_." I said in a more firm voice, but my icy edge had long since been melted since the few hours ago that I had seen Haru. He was quickly resurrecting it, though. I was starting to feel that need to defend myself now.

Haru gave me a moment of silence, before adding something in the same voice, "He doesn't change anything… or you don't want him to?"

I looked away from him stubbornly, and decided not to say anything. This is so complicated. This is so complicated, why is this so complicated—my life used to be so _simple_.

…stupid… stupid, unpredictable, Baka Neko…

I looked back over to Haru, "… so what're you doing here?"

He blinked up at me, "I came so you could eat."

Ignoring how that sentence made no sense, my eyes flickered up to my clock, the two hands declaring the time to be much later then I had thought, "…Is Tohru downstairs right now?"

"Well, no. She doesn't get off until later." Haru explained, "She had a dinner-break and I took her out to eat… then I dropped her off again, and intercepted a miffed Kyo along the city streets."

My eyes shot to Haru in shock, but he brushed it off easily, "He just looked quite frazzled… he wasn't soaked in pedestrian blood, so I decided to let him off the hook. I asked him if he would pick up Tohru for me."

"… You're letting Kyo be alone with Tohru when he's in one of his moods?" I asked incredulously, "You know how insensitive he can be!"

Haru contradicted me, "Kyo's more sensitive with Tohru then you give him credit for." He brushed it off, "She means something to both of you, Yuki."

I frowned in disagreement, but continued back to the original subject, "So you just felt like paying Shigure a visit?"

"… well, when I intercepted Kyo on my evening journey through the winding streets, my instincts pulled me through the lively city in the knowledgeable assumption that my Love, Yuki, was traumatized and in dire need of consoling." Haru's eyes became far away in his reminiscing, but he slid them back to me in focus, "And Tohru asked me to give this to you."

Haru held out the white take-out container with an un-opened pair of chopsticks, "She bought you dinner since she didn't make any for you to heat up."

My innards swelled at Tohru's continuing care for me—I couldn't tell if it was from guilt or flattery. I should take her out to dinner sometime to make up for this.

I appraised Haru before sighing and pushing myself off the bed, "Alright, let's go downstairs, I wont eat it up here." I took the take-container and added in a mumble, "Besides, I'll be traumatized for real if you don't stop 'consoling' me."

(Kyo's POV)

I don't like people, I don't like streets, I don't like eyes, voices—I don't like people_._ But Haru had just popped up out of fricken nowhere and scared me to hell and back, before asking (or more like 'assigning') me to pick up Tohru and disappearing. Like, Jesus, c'mon, can't she walk herself? When the hell has that cow ever ditched Tohru?

It was a little late to be complaining about it, though, since we were already halfway home, trudging our way along the forest path. She was chiding about her day at work, mentioning her earlier dinner-date with Haru, and ranting about the school year which was coming pretty damn fast… but school was definitely not what was on my mind right now.

I didn't like the city scene, so the forest was better at cooling off my temper… but it was the little imperfections that pissed me off—

'_meow'_

Like _that_, for one.

"Get the hell away!" I barked, glaring down at the skinny cat that had been weaving its way in and out of my path since we intercepted it a while ago. Now I can't shake the damn thing off.

"M-maybe she's lost?" Tohru sounded nervous at my evident infuriation.

I groaned—I didn't want her to get nervous around me, god dammit. "It's fine." I said through my teeth, and I made business of trying to ignore the flick of airy grey that moved around in my peripheral vision… it was pissing me off.

"S-so did you have any dinner, Kyo-Kun?" Tohru attempted to bring me into a conversation, "I can make you dinner if you didn't, I'm sorry I hadn't made anything earlier for you to heat u—" I interjected, "I'm _fine_."

She gave a small peep, and I hung my head back and let out another frustrated groan, "I mean… it's alright, thanks." I corrected myself in a tight voice, and I saw Tohru nod vigorously from the corner of my eye.

It was so damn difficult to be around her when I was frustrated, it was one guilt trip after another when I made her nervous, or uncertain, or when she put on that face of guilt—like my mood was her fault.

My mood is my own damn fault, no one else's! Dammitit pisses me off when people take responsibility for stuff _I _do. No one controls me but me, if I'm moody, it's cuz _I _wanna be moody!

I rambled in my head for the rest of the walk home, nudging the cat just short of a kick every time she came close to rubbing up against my leg. Annoying. Just—annoying.

We reached the clearing and approached the house—and I narrowed my eyes suspiciously when I saw Haru leaning against the railing. Tohru's reaction was the exact opposite, she glowed and her lips spread into an excited smile as she waved vigorously, "Haru-Kun!"

Haru's lips curved into a smile—

I froze in my steps.

Did he just smile?

I don't think I've ever seen him smile…

I shivered—Haru smiling has got to be the creepiest thing I've ever seen in my life.

I approached him as Tohru quickened her pace to meet him first, and his fingers casually intertwined with hers—I looked away, suddenly feeling like I was gonna vomit.

I looked around to see where that cat got to—but it looked like she got freaked as well over Haru's smile. She must've ditched, so I turned my attention back to the two.

"What're you doin' here, cow?" I said for a greeting, and Haru shifted his eyes over to me.

"I didn't get a chance to spend some quality time with you this afternoon." He explained, "I've missed you lately, Kyo."

My lip curled in a sneer instinctively but Tohru squeaked, "Have I been taking up too much of your time when you could be spending it bonding with Kyo!" She panicked, and Haru shook his head immediately, while looked down at her with—

He looked down at her with something that looked remotely close to adoration—

I stumbled back a few steps—

What the hell!When the hell did he start having facial expressions!

Tohru looked worried at my sudden jolt of horror but I shot in something before anyone could speak, "There aint no bonding going on between us!" I barked, and made to move past them when Haru interjected.

"Actually, Kyo, I was hoping you would walk me back home."

I blinked at him… "What?"

"It's gotten quite dark out; you wouldn't let me walk home alone, would you? I could get kidnapped."

"Cow, the only person who'd kidnap you would be an asylum-runaway!"

"Never the less, I must safely return home." Haru mused, and my nose wrinkled as I barked back my reply, "What about _me!"_

"If you're that scared, you can have a slumber party with me."

…

"Oh Haru-Kun! That would be so fun! Wouldn't it, Kyo-kun? Wouldn't that be fun? You should— Kyo-Kun?"

My entire system had shut down in disturbed shock—but I shook out of it, "WHAT THE HELL, _NO!"_

"I can lend you a flashlight—"

"I'M NOT SCARED!"

"Good," Haru walked past Tohru and grabbed a fistful of my shirt and dragged me along behind as I stumbled from walking backwards—

"Do not worry, Tohru, we shall see you tomorrow." Haru promised, and I watched as Tohru gave a nervous wave and an uncertain smile.

"Gwak!" I stumbled over a root as Haru got me onto the path, and I twisted out of his grip, shoving him away from me and regaining my stepping, "What the _hell_ cow!" I barked, "Don't drag me around!"

Haru didn't reply and I fell into step with his casual strut—but as the silence persisted I glared at him with a wrinkle of my nose, "Well? You gonna tell me just what the hell this is about, brat?"

"All right."

Haru walked forward faster, and turned around in front of me, making me freeze in my tracks in order to keep myself from crashing into him.

"I realize that you are frustrated—"He said, his voice darker then usual, and his eyes having a scolding edge, "But I think it would be best if you did not take out your anger on those who aren't responsible for it."

"…_eh_?" I felt my head spin from confusion, "What the hell are you spewing, cow?" I pushed him aside and walked forward—but Haru grabbed onto my shirt and pulled me back in a quick aggressive jerk.

"Why don't you use that head of yours—I thought I got through to you before." Haru said in a condescending voice, "Remember when I said if you ever hurt Yuki, I'd make sure you'd never forget it?"

"What?" I barked, "Yeah, but what the hell does—" Haru shoved me away from him indifferently and my agitation was boiling inside my stomach like acid, but Haru replied before I could react, "You're _walking that line_." His eyes remained indifferent to me.

"How the HELL am I walking ANY line!" I barked, "I can walk on _any goddamn line I want to!"_

"Then how about you walk _my _line." Haru challenged, "And get off of Yuki's."

"Huh?" Finally it clicked in—it was so obvious I could've puked, "This is about YUKI? That BRAT!" I fumed, "What the _HELL IS WITH HIM! _I didn't even do ANYTHING and he_ goes off COMPLAINING—"_

A sudden searing pain shot through my jaw as I stumbled back from a cracking impact that collided against my cheek—

"_Ugh_!" I hissed, my hand slapping onto the cheek where Haru had punched me off guard, and looked up to glare at him, "WHAT THE HELL, YA DAMN PUNK, _DON'T—"_

I didn't finish my sentence—my arm was so too busy shooting out to block Haru's next blow, but I wasn't quick enough in registration to dodge his kick when he threw his leg into the air and his hard heel collided with a sickening crack against my skull and I stumbled back from the impact before I felt my shoulder hit a hard tree.

"You're really _pissing me off._ If he's a brat, what does that make _you_?" I heard him ask in a menacing voice, "All _you_ do is complain—you're nuthin but a whiny _little baby_!"

Then my back slammed against the tree, and Haru's fist was clenched in the fabric of my shirt as his eyes became aggressive black holes—I stared at him as he kept my stare with a vicious look, "_who do you think you are? You think you know everything? Huh? You think you just cuz you're a worthless outcast, you have the right to accuse everyone?" _his voice was menacingly instigating, "_I don't know what he see's in that empty head of yours!"_

I blinked at Black Haru—his eyes dark voids of aggression, the shallow of the skin beneath them an irritated red, his lips curling in a sadistic grimace.

"_Ugh_!" I spat with infuriation as I pulled my arm back and threw a punch across his face—raw pain jolted up my fist which was already bruised from slamming it against the wall earlier.

Black Haru stepped back from the impact and I barked at him, "_Don't _PUSH ME AROUND, YA DAMN BRAT!"

Black Haru recovered and flung himself back at me, and I blocked each of his throws with my forearms until he jolted to the side and his hard ring-clad knuckles collide with my jaw, and I fell back on impact as a menacing voice sounded, "_Look who's talking! The stupid cat! Why would Yuki want to be anywhere near your whiny stench?" _his sadistic grin was menacingly amused. "_I've never had to listen to anyone more PATHETIC!"_

"DAMN PUNK!" I roared, my fury pulsing into my adrenaline as I threw myself at Black Haru, who dodged my fist before falling back when the heel of my feet soared up and cracked against his jaw. "HE'S THE BRAT! GETTING' ALL MOODY OVER _AKITO_!"

A bitter, dark laugh barked through the air, and Black Haru peered up at me with condemning black eyes from his crouched spot on the ground, "Who are _you_ to talk about Akito? He doesn't even _look at you!_" His lips curled into a sneering smirk, "Who the hell would waste their time on a _stupid little kitty cat!"_

"THAT'S _IT!" _I roared, "YOU'RE GOING _DOWN!"_ I threw myself at him, but he jumped to his feet and blocked my right hook shot before I twisted and slammed a kick into his gut, his breath knocked past his lips in a gasp before he stumbled back, and I flew back at him with my elbow tearing back and shooting forward until my knuckles cracked against his cheekbone, the ach shattering up my arm, and I immediately took advantage of his twisted body and torpedoed my leg through the air until my heel cracked against his nose—

Blood splurged from Black Haru's face, but I didn't wait a moment and slammed my fist against his face—my knuckles slapping against his blood-soaked nose as I felt the fragment of his bone shift underneath my stinging knuckles and Black Haru stumbled to the side—

I shot towards him again and threw a left hook shot, but Black Haru dodged it and threw a punch at the soft vulnerability of my stomach. The air in my lungs gusted out of my throat at the impact before I got knocked to the side as Black Haru's fist slammed against my cheek—and I tasted the metallic rust of my blood in my mouth, but Black Haru wasn't backing down, and I felt a hand claw into my hair and shove my face down just before a sickening crunch grinded my nose as the hot, searing pain jolted up my nose, splitting into my eyes and colliding against the back of my skull from where Black Haru kneed me and I stumbled back before slapping my hands over my face as a sickeningly warm sensation overtook my nose and I felt hot liquid ooze underneath my hands.

A dark, black laugh barked through the air, "_That all you got BABY?"_

"YA DAMN BASTARD!" I roared, lunging at him and knocking my fist against his shoulder, making Black Haru twist at the impact so I could soar my leg through the air, twisting my own body until my heel came in hard contact to his cheek—Black Haru stumbled to the ground, skimming it with his hand before throwing himself back at me.

He just kept coming back at me as I blocked his fury of fists, each one more predictable then the last as we scaled each inch of ground, never standing still for a moment, arms always moving to hurl a fist or block a hit, I felt different parts of my skin throb with raw pain, as the adrenaline burst through my hot veins—This is it! This is what _I need!_ A physical outlet, a release and that damn cow was giving it to me!

In the personal heated desire of the moment, Black Haru got a punch past my guard and I felt his ring-clad knuckles crunch against my nose—and I felt the warm oozing pain reverberate back into skull with increasing pain. This is exactly what I need! Liberation of all my adrenaline, all my _fury_! I threw back my elbow and slammed my bleeding fist across Black Haru's blood-slippery mouth, and I twisted around and knocked my elbow into his throat.

Black Haru gave a gasped cough and stumbled back, clutching his throat while I heaved a rushed breath—this is what I want, this is what I need! It's what I need—but something's _missing!_ What's _missing? _I threw myself at him, giving no mercy, and slammed my knuckles against his cheek before throwing my fist up from under and colliding it with the strong bone of his under jaw—and Black Haru fell back to the ground on impact.

The hot blood was oozing from my nose and over my parted lips, and I licked at it before spitting out my blood over my shoulder, "YOU DONE, PUNK?" Black Haru shot his menacing eyes up at me from his blood-spurted face, "I BARELY EVEN _FELT THAT!" _Black Haru's mocking smile was sadistic and menacing before he hurled himself at me in aggression, and I ducked as his boot-clad foot soared past my head (damn that would hurt like hell!) and I quickly went in and slammed my fist against his kidney before cracking my fist against his jaw. _What's missing! _Before he could recuperate, I slammed my fist back into his bruised face, our bloodied skin making a slapping noise, and I threw my leg up to break it against his head—and he fell to the ground as I followed his suit with my heart pounding against my ribcage.

I grabbed his shirt with one bruised fist, "GET UP, _YA DAMN RAT_!"

-!

That's _it!_

That's _what's missing!_

Dazed by my epiphany, a fist smashing against my nose knocked me back to reality as I stumbled off of Black Haru, my hand cupping my bleeding skin as the hot pain washed through my nose.

I wanted it to be _Yuki_, I wanted this moment to be _Yuki_ and I, not cuz I wanted to hit him, not cuz I wanted to make him bleed like I am—cuz I wanted _him_ to beat me, I wanted _him_ to make me bleed—I wanted him to take out _his _frustrations on _me!_ I wanted him to break my nose, _anything!_—that's why I _want _Black Haru to get hits in, that's why I _want_ Black Haru to slam my face in!—cuz I wanted _myself _to bleed, I wanted it to be _me_ who gets bruised and bloody—I wanted to feel pain! Adrenaline! That hot, addicting, raw pain!

God _dammit it felt so damn GOOD!_

Black Haru slammed his fist against my face, in my gut, against my shoulder—and I kept my guard down, letting him, imagining to myself that it was Yuki—until I heard his voice, "WASSA MATTER WIMP, YA GIVIN' UP ALREADY?"

Something clicked in my mind—and I realized that I was letting that damn _cow _pound on me! I let an enraged noise burst from my throat and I threw my fists in blurring speed, colliding against his body, feeling bone crunch against bone, blood slick over skin, before I finally delivered a whipping kick—and Black Haru was knocked to the ground.

I stood in a protective stance, my chest heaving as I took in gulps of air, my head buzzing from the lack of oxygen, my vision shifting to focus on the stand-still scene. I licked the blood that was coating my lips from my nose, and panted to catch my breath, my stinging, aching fist still painfully clenched and the torn skin taut over my red knuckles.

My mind, finally not on guard against Black Haru—who was still pretty motionless on the ground—was swirling over the words that were spilled earlier. I relaxed my tight shoulders, hung my head back, and took a few faltering steps behind me until I felt my back connect with a hard tree. I slumped to the ground, bent my leg and rested my arm over my knee as I calmed my breathing.

Black Haru gave a groan and lifted his body weakly from the ground.

I eyed him as I shoved a forearm across my face, and felt the oozing streams of blood slide over my skin. The pain was starting to get less subtle, and turned into obnoxious stinging.

Black Haru sat back on his heels, and slid a hand onto his forehead "… I'm…"

I watched him carefully, and he turned his neck to face me, "…hungry."

I snorted at Haru, "Fat cow."

At least he was reverted back—I didn't feel like dealing with any more of his hot-headed inversion. I had taken my fix, and was satisfied…well, almost.

My blood was still hot and pounding viciously in and out of my pumping heart—but the adrenaline was settling, and my rage was dissolving within my inhalation.

I leaned my head back onto the tree, feeling the cool night air sooth my heated body. I swallowed a mouthful of blood, "…that felt good." I breathed.

"Glad to be of service." Haru said in that indifferent voice of his, pushing himself up unsteadily and limping over to me—he grunted and braced a hand against a tree, "…you got my kidney."

"You left it open."

"… true."

I sniffed, and winced—the blood was still oozing from my nose, and I tugged the hem of my shirt up to my nose and held it as my blood flowed.

"…so, then," Haru mused as he readjusted his rings on his scraped fingers, "Shall we move along to the next crime scene?"

I snorted into my shirt, "You _are _the crime scene."

"Hm." Haru mused, "Flattering, but let's go now."

"Ya wanna go into town looking like _that_?" I scoffed, rubbing the wet fabric over my warm nose.

Haru's white shirt was splattered with blood, and his face was dripping with the oozing red liquid. Haru reached up and tentatively wiped his hand across the stream of blood underneath his nose.

He pulled his hand back to examine it "… oh my. How gruesome."

I wiped the back of my hand underneath my nose, and winced as I felt my stomach curl unpleasantly—I could feel a bruise forming on my abdomen.

"Looks like we'll be the asylum run-aways tonight." Haru wiped his hand clean on his pants.

I massaged the crook of my neck as I rolled my tight shoulder, "I'm not the one with a personality complex." I said in a disgruntled and husky voice.

Haru pushed himself away from the tree, flexing and relaxing his fingers in test, "You don't need duel personalities to be crazy."

…I didn't even have to think about it. The words just felt right. I know that I'm not crazy, or unstable… but that's how I feel right now. All these emotions, these swarming thoughts and ideas—I honestly felt like I was going to go mad.

I brought my hand up to my mouth and I licked at my cut knuckles, "… I guess." I muttered.

"Kyo, As much as I enjoy our battles—" Haru said in a finishing voice, "I would prefer if you didn't use me as an outlet for your masochistic pleasures. If you're going to fight me, I'd rather you keep your guard up. Or I will learn nothing."

I looked up at him and he nodded to me before turning and walking briskly off the path and suspiciously past the weaving trees and bushes. I shoved my wrist back over my nose—it was finally beginning to stop bleeding.

Ignoring the tight ache in my muscles, I pushed myself up and made to walk after the rustling noises Haru conspicuously created, lit by the fogging glow from the rising moon. I felt like it'd be smart to have Hatori check up on my wounds as well.

"Oi, COW." I called at his silhouette which turned to glance at me briefly, "If my nose is broken, you're dead!"

**-End-**

**AN-**58 is up. thank god. Black Haru on request by **kyoskitten89**- i was thinking about nudging Black Haru in to begin with, but your review really gave me the thumbs up on it, so thank you  
I know, it took me inhumanely long to get this thing up. I had a MAJOR writers block, and that was not pleasent  
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ME.  
Please **!Review!** i wasn't very confident in this chapter, and i'd love to hear from whoever's still hanging in there with me!  
And as well... i'm in love with my summary (Courtesy of **Kyki- The Late Night Writer**) but i feel like it may be a bit weak to hold against a post-60 chpt story. _-slump-_  
I'd love to hear some suggestions, but i might just end up leaving it like it is. but if you have an idea, just throw it out there, waht would it hurt, neh? thank you!  
I know... there wasn't alot of Yuki/Kyo in here... i'll make up for it. (hopefully)  
chpt59 is on it's way! soonsoonsoon

**edit: **_-grumble- _


	59. Chapter 59

**AN- (Rit-Chan Edited)**

**I AM SO SORRY! I APOLOGIZE TO YOU, TO ALL OF YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO READ MY FIC AND GIVE ME AMAZING REVIEWS AND I STILL GO WEEKS WITHOUT UPDATING FOR YOU I AM THE SCUM OF THE EARTH UNWORTHY OF YOUR AUDIENCE FORGIVE ME I APOLOGIZE! I APOLOGIZE TO YYYOOOOUUUUUU!**

**-**  
ugh, now that we got that outa the way-  
this chapter was just... very very very complicated to write and figure out. I didn't exactly know what to write and exactly how to do this so it took a while to do _-pathetic excuse number one- _and what I do in this chapter effects the upcoming ones, so I had to mussle through my plot a bit _-pathetic excuse number two- _but here it is! i finally have it done!  
!ENJOY!

**Chapter Fifty Nine**

(Kyo's POV)

"N—Dammit…" I grunted when a flat ache echoed dully through my back as I shifted my stomach onto my mattress.

I listened to myself take a heavy breath, feeling my lungs expand at the welcoming sensation, before shifting my weight from my forearms to my hands, pushing my body up to rest on the back of my heels.

I rubbed my fist lazily against my tired eyes and grumbled in my throat, feeling the blood rush from my head in a strange hazy sensation. I dragged my hand down my face, and my skin met a soft cottony material.

I pulled my hand away and scrunched up my face in experiment— my skin crinkled against what felt like medical tape.

"Ugh," I groaned, my potentially good mood for this morning faded almost instantly as yesterday burst through the doors of my consciousness.

Last night I had trudged my way through the streets with Haru, a slow ricochet of insults flying between us where I grumbled off the shots while Haru merely hummed a few back at me before resorting instead to stabbing his finger in my bruised ribs. He had a few fresh wounds when we arrived at the Main House.

I had gone in hesitantly; not liking the fowl, heavy weight that loomed with swelling unease in my tight chest. It was more then the heavy lure of Akito's presence which I very rarely am exposed to—it was the dark glow of unseen eyes, peering at me through closed doors, sneering at me above turned noses. I had felt it, them, the hissing whispers of repulse, the disgusted wrinkle of a nose, the scornful glare piercing through my skin. Or it could've just been old memories reconciled from my childhood. It made me sick, being in that place.

We got to Hatori's office, me following Haru's lead with lack of coordination along those winding hallways, and Hatori's expression was professionally unshaken by our battered states.

I could've imagined it; since Hatori isn't that kind of person— but it seemed that he had sent a strange glance my way at one point. But his voice was as solemn and ill-entertained as usual when patching us up after a fight, so I ignored it.

I had to get a few stitches cuz that damn cow slammed my face in with all those 10-pound rings he wears, and when he goes Black his momentum builds more then I've been used to when I've trained with him. My nose wasn't broken, but I had fractured his—and Hatori had taken care of it before it got gross, though a squishy bruise swelled it up long before I had left.

I crawled my aching body out of my bed, tossing the sheets aside when they refused to uncoil from my waist, and stumbled onto the floor with a disgruntled grumble in my throat.

"Nnngt…" I held the back of my head and my brain was throbbing against my skull—did he get me there too? Damn cow.

I shuffled over to my closet and tugged it open, absently pulling my shirt over my buzzing head and shoving my sweatpants off as I started to fully become awake.

I pulled on some pants, grabbed a belt to slide through the loops and latched it around my waist securely befor grabbing a t-shirt and shoving my hands through the sleeves while I wandered across my room. I slipped the shirt over my head as I pulled my door open and tugged it over my abdomen while wandering down the hall groggily to the bathroom door and closing my muzzy self in.

I twisted the sink knob and held my fingers underneath the tap. I cupped my hands underneath warm running water, feeling it pool in my palms, and I lowered my face over the sink before splashing it, trying to avoid getting my patch-job wet. I turned off the water, grabbed the hem of my t-shirt and tugged it over my abdomen to wipe my face dry.

Then I decided to inspect the damage, so I pulled my shirt back down and looked square into the mirror… and a curse mumbled past my lips.

There was a thin white patch over my right cheekbone, where I could feel the stitches in the healing tare of my skin, and a bruise was sinking into the hollow of my other cheek, which was a squishy purple shade, emphasized by the irritated red surrounding it that matched the color of skin fading up the bridge of my nose.. The skin beside my eye was turning an ill purple color rimmed by red…but at least Black Haru hadn't given me a black eye, I'd have to live out stupid jokes for the next week.

I tilted my chin up, and there was another bruise on my jaw line. Defined, red cuts were sliced thinly across my face from where Haru's rings tore through the skin tissue. I didn't really expect myself to come out unmarked, but damn…

My sigh of frustration was more of a growl as I pushed away from the sink and left the bathroom before making my disgruntled way down the quiet hallway, and descending the stairs into the kitchen as the familiar scent of Tohru's morning cooking filled me with at least one pleasant thought.

"Good morning, Kyo-Kun!" Tohru greeted me, and I grunted in response. She slid her side bag over her shoulder and gave me a smile, "Breakfast is on the ta—" then her expression suddenly slid into panic, "_Kyo-Kun! You're hurt!_ I mean of course your hurt I heard about your fight! I'm so sorry, I should've done something! I asked Haru about it and I should've been there to make sure nobody got hurt and you both got hurt and I'm so sorry it was completely irresponsible of me—"

"Tohru, it's fine." I interrupted, feeling agitated at her sympathy, but I brushed it off, "I'm hungry."

"Oh yes, breakfast is on the table! It should still be nice and hot." Her face tried to regain that enthusiastic glow, but it was dimmed by her worry—honestly, it's not like she hasn't seen me bruised up before, she was making me feel guilty.

"Thanks," I walked past her and into the dining room where the lovely smell of her cooking seeped into the air. I sat myself down, ignoring Shigure who was hidden behind a wall of newspaper, and I dug into the food with eagerness. It was a bit hot, and it scolded my taste buds, but I was starving and kept scarfing down the delicious meal into my growling stomach.

A crinkling noise crunched through the air as Shigure folded his newspaper back up.

"So I see you and Haru had a fun time last night." Shigure said conversationally.

I stuffed the last bit of food into my mouth, "Gave him a few shots."

"Yuki was very worried! He was about to burst out into the night to fight by your side—"

"_Could you shut up?_ It wasn't a _war_." I swallowed my food, the taste suddenly bitter with my agitation, and Shigure had the newspaper on the table while appraising me with interested eyes.

"You still haven't worked it out with Yuki—I wonder, were you planning on letting Akito barge in and take over everything?" Shigure said in an instigating tone, and I blinked moodily at him, "Were you planning on letting Akito take Yuki from you? That's a bit weak, Kyo, I thought you were the type to protect what's yours, instead of just letting someone trample in and take it from you. I thought you'd be more of a man."

I twitched my eye at him, my agitation impressively boiling my blood—it was amazing, whenever he opened his mouth, I wanted to _kill someone_.

"Anything _else _you'd like to say?" I said through clenched teeth.

"Yes!" Shigure's voice was thunderously dramatic, "PROTECT YOUR LOVER! DON'T LET THE CLUTCHES OF THIS EVIL WORLD TARE HIM FROM YOUR GRIP!" I growled and shoved myself up, "_GET OUT THERE, AND TAKE YOUR MAN FOR YOURSELF!"_

I grabbed a dish of rice, and slammed it on his head—there was a crashing sound as the bowl shattered on his head, mixed in with the yelp from Shigure as the rice poured over him. I slammed my fist onto his head and he yapped another cry as he curled away from me,

"GO TA _HELL!"_ I bellowed.

"…how concerning."

I turned around to see Haru standing in the doorway, seemingly completely unconcerned in every way. He looked more like shit then I did—the skin circling the hollow of his eye was a deep squishy navey color, and both his cheekbones were covered in purple and irritable red skin, as a patch of cloth covered the underside of his jaw as well as over his nose.

"What're you doin here?" I barked, and then Tohru pranced into the scene with an excited voice: "Haru came to pick me up!"

"No don't leave me alone with Kyo!" Shigure whimpered from his spot on the floor, and I shot a glare at him.

"Yuki-Kun's still here!" Tohru said pleasantly, and I slid my eyes over to Haru.

"But he's sleeping!"

"Yuki can still macerate Kyo asleep." Haru said nonchalantly and I grabbed a fistful of his shirt: "Wanna replay of yesterday, _Cow_?"

"You don't look up to it." Haru reached up and patted me on the head.

I growled and walked past him. The room was stuffy, and I was getting agitated. I wandered into the entrance hall, opened the front door, and walked over to the sturdy wooden railing that was framing the porch. I leaned against it and breathed in the morning air—and I could smell autumn coming, that moist, crisp smell of dirt and earthly decay. I hated autumn; it was almost as bad as _spring_—raining all over the place, what a bore.

I stood there for a few moments longer, feeling the fresh air breathe into my lungs, ignoring the obnoxious stinging and aching of my prier-fight body. My right shoulder felt tight, and my knuckles still stung from smashing them around, and an odd sensation rippled through my jaw whenever I crunched my teeth together.

Protect my lover? Take my man for myself? What bullshit. What complete bullshit does that fricken dog think he's spewing. Akito, for one, is not taking Yuki from me—no one can take from me what's not mine, and I refused to see Yuki like that. Akito hadn't 'taken' Yuki; Yuki had just given himself like a goddamn trophy. He loves that. Yuki loves that. He loves being a prize, he loves his beauty, he flaunts it everywhere he goes, he loves being won_, _he loves being fought over—when he hears about the fight between Haru and I, he'll probably glow in smug pride—

The fight…

Yesterday oozed into my mind, and I frowned at the wood beneath my hands. Something didn't feel right. Thinking like that, for some reason, didn't feel as right as it had. I have thought like this before, and would feel defiant and hostile towards that rat, but now, throwing those words around in my head—they just didn't feel honest. No matter how many times I repeated them, an even bigger portion of myself then last time was rejecting the words, throwing them right back into my face.

The feeling that was dwindling inside of me wasn't anger or hostility—or at least not the dominant emotion, which was that sickening tang of guilt. Where does that rat get off, making me feel guilty?

I glared at my red scraped knuckles, dark red scabs shelling over the tares. So why was I feeling guilty then? Why the hell am I feeling guilty now? It didn't feel entirely like guilt—I can recall that feeling, that bitter taste that left my insides sour and twisted my stomach.

But this was different—it felt like a building wall against the momentum of my defiance. Something stopping me from feeling what I wanted to feel, a pair of audacious hands that held me back.

I snapped my head around to see Haru walking through the opened entrance door, and I glared at him, "Next time you decide to jump me, can you take off your damn jewelry?" I said with a clearly agitated voice, "I don't like getting slammed in the face by metal diamonds."

"But if I were to take them all off…" Haru mused, "We wouldn't get to the fight until morning."

"_Then don't wear so much_!"

Tohru walked out from behind Haru, calling a goodbye to Shigure. She slid the door closed behind her and Haru greeted her with a faint smile, "Are we ready?"

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry for taking so long!" She turned to face me, "I made lunch for you three, it's in the fridge,"

"You didn't have to, there was enough breakfast." I told her as I pushed myself up on the railing, sitting on the wood.

"Yuki-kun's not up yet, he might be hungry," She said, "And he's got that meeting today, so—"

"What meeting?" I interrupted without thought.

"Yuki-kun has a Student Council meeting at eight this morning—since school's starting in a few days and everything." She said, "I would've woken him up, but there's still so much time for him to sleep…"

"What time's it now?" I asked, having forgotten to check my alarm clock when I stumbled out of bed, too preoccupied with the ache in my body.  
"Six thirty—you get up early, Kyo-kun," She said with admiration in her voice and a smile on her face.

"Yeah, well, same to you." I mumbled before adding, "He gonna pick you up?" I nodded at Haru.

While Haru gazed off to gather his mental agenda, Tohru rambled to him how she'd be fine if he had something to do, but he insisted that he had 'absolutely no life' aside from Tohru.

"Alright!" She beamed at Haru, taking his offer quicker then usual, "Then I'm ready for work! Bring on the garbage!" she shoved her fist in the air and marched down the stairs before turning back to me, "Good-bye Kyo-Kun!"

"See ya." I said absently—then Haru stilled in front of me and gave me a curious look. I tensed at his gaze, "What?"

"You know…" Haru said indifferently, "Sometimes he needs… a little _nudge_."

"GWA!" At the moment, Haru had reached out and did just that, pushing lightly at my shoulder—and then the empty pit of gravity shifted, and a jolt shocked through my back as it hit the ground.

"EH! _Kyo-Kun!"_

"Let's be on our way." I watched as the parallel universe before me had Haru and Tohru walking away upside down—her face shocked with concern, but Haru slid a hand onto her back and gave her a reassuring smile, "The _other_ garbage is waiting."

"Fat cow." I grumbled, shifting on the dirt until I had come remotely close to a natural position. I heaved my body up, stumbling around until I got functionally on my feet, and I brushed off the back of my pants.

I glared behind me—but they were already gone.

I turned back to the house and grumbled as I walked back up the porch steps and opened the door to let myself in. I wandered down the entrance hall, into the kitchen, and tugged open the fridge to hunt down my morning milk.

After pulling the carton out of the fridge and grabbing a clean glass, I filled it with milk and returned the container to the fridge before tipping the cup to my lips and drinking in the cold white taste.

The strange curl of my stomach smoothed out when the delicious, comforting taste filled it—milk always made things better. I let out a sigh and placed my glass into the sink as I heard the dining room door slide open and—

My hand was up in a swift reflex as something fast-moving hit my palm with a thud, my fingers snapping around to cage it.

I blinked at Shigure who yelled before I could, pointing an accusing finger, "YOUNG MAN, YOU BROKE MY TELEVISION SET!"

..Did he just remember that? I blinked again, then my eyes snapped to the rolled up newspaper he had chucked at me, and I barked in agitation, "Just go buy a new one! Don't have to _throw things at me, dammit_!" I raised my voice before whipping the newspaper back at Shigure who yelped before ducking and a muffled thud indicated that it had hit the wall.

"I'll have you know, it'll be out of _your _account, mister!" Shigure said in a scornful voice of demanding authority, "Now leave this instant, and don't come back without a Television Set!"

"WHA?" I felt my irritation spring to a height, "GET YOUR OWN DAMN TV!"

"You need DISCIPLINE!" Shigure demanded, and he started talking like a responsible adult would to a disrespectful teenager, and I felt my rage puff up inside of my chest, "Respect must be earned, young man, and mine has DWINDLED IN _YOU!" _I turned my back on Shigure and stormed out of the kitchen, "GO TA HELL YA OLD MAN!"

I shoved on my shoes and threw the door open before slamming it closed behind me, my nostrils flaring as I stormed down the steps.

My healing skin pulled taught over my knuckles with a stinging sensation as I curled my hands into fists and marched my way across the yard to storm into the forest, to march off and slam my bruised fists against trees, to kick at indifferent trunks, and to roar at passing animals.—

Stupid house, stupid Shigure, stupid damn TV, idiot cow, goddammit, stupid damn rat, screw this, I can just go on another journey, I've been meaning to do that for a while, I've never been so chained down to one place for so damn long… yeah, yeah a journey would be great, clear my head, screw everything here, I'm better off by myself, alone, I'm much better off alone— no stupid school, no stupid Main House, no idiotic people to deal with, no damn girls to dodge, no fucking stupid idiotic goddamn _emotions _directed to one _stupid _GODDAMN _BOY!_

Suddenly my feet planted themselves in the ground, and my body jerked to a halt.

I let out a hot breath, and ordered my body to take a step forward, and I felt my thigh muscle twitch, but my heel stayed digging into the dirt.

There it was again—that wall.

That wall that halted my adrenaline of defiance.

There was a reluctant edge to my feverish anger, a strange anti-gravity to it—it didn't feel _anchored_.

I frowned… well this just sucked.

I was searching for something—I wandered through my mind almost desperately, searching for something… but whatever it was, I couldn't find it.

I've never felt so complicated, so different from myself, so detached from my mind, so goddamn unfamiliar in my own eyes… I didn't feel like I should—

What am I looking for?

My neck turned and I looked over my shoulder to the house behind me, the shingles on the roof haloed by the growing light illuminating the dark sky in prologue to the sunrise.

_Him._

My eyes narrowed.

It's _him._

If I walk away from this now… then what? Am I always going to be walking away, running off? That rat made me feel like such a coward. _No_. No, I would _not_ be intimidated by Yuki; I AM A MAN, GOD DAMMIT!

I turned hotly on my heel and bolted up the porch steps, shoving the opened door closed behind me and stormed through the entrance hall.

All of this—this is all because of _him!_ All these emotions, all these confused jumbled thoughts, all these foreign sensations raiding my insides belonged to _him_, they were _his _damn fault!

And besides, who was _Yuki _to intimidate _me_? I was _not _going to give him that pleasure!

"You got the Television Set?" Shigure demanded as I stormed out of the entrance hall and past him with a hot retort, "NO! SHADDA HELL UP!"

"Kyo-Chan you better not break anything else!" he called as I stormed up the stairs, "Don't wake up Yuki-Kun, I don't want anything else broken! _Are you listening_?"

"I SAID SHADDAP!" I roared from the hallway, ostentatiously thundering myself down the hall, and when I got to the door I dismissed all politeness and barged straight in—

My roaring bonfire of motivation suddenly blew into a heated simmer.

Dammit, does he sleep through _everything?_

I frowned across the room to where Yuki's body was resting underneath his sheets, which rose and fell faintly with his calm breathing.

My eye twitched—yup. Not a stir.

"Dammit." I muttered, and I let my body fall back in attempt to back out—but that wall seemed to be pressing against my back, disabling me from going anywhere but forward.

I can always wake him up when disturbing his sleep isn't in the plot, but when I put an effort into it—he just sleeps right through. Where the hell's the appreciation here? I don't wanna wake him up, that scares the hell out of me.

I know I've done it before, but that wasn't when he was pissed off at me.

The memory of his cold, hard eyes pierced into my mind, and a shiver ran down my spine.

…okay, this's just stupid, I'm not gonna let him reduce me to a fleeing coward.

Expanding on that thought to fuel me with determination, I closed the door cautiously behind me before I made my way across his room, noticing how messy it was—seriously, I'm barely half as bad as he is: clothing thrown on his desk chair, books opened and spine-up on the floor, his closet open to expose the articles of clothing that seemed to be trying to crawl out, pencils and pens spilling out of a sideways jar that most likely fell from his paper-covered desk, and beside an alarm clock was a glass of water on his bedside table that was old by the looks of the stale bubbles.

Heh.

I know I've been in here before so it shouldn't be all that amusing, but just the thought that the 'prince' could be the habitant of such a messy room made me want to smirk—those fangirls really play up his perfectionist traits, and it was one of the things I was relieved to discover wasn't true.

There's not a lot of 'perfect' that I can take from Yuki without feeling inadequate enough already.

I stepped over a battered looking book—but glanced back at it.

It didn't look like a novel, or a textbook…

I reached down and slid my fingers underneath the opened spine, and lifted the book up from its sprawled position on the floor. I glanced at Yuki for a moment… he was sleeping with his back to me, his white collard shirt exposing the white of his delicate shoulders, his foggy silver hair a messy swivel over his pillow and hidden face, one hand curled against the white shallow of his collar bone.

It took me a moment until I realized I had been staring.

Was it because I haven't seen him asleep for so long, that I had forgotten how entranced I was by him?

I turned away from him, rejecting the thoughts with the physical gesture, and drew my attention back to the book in my hands. I turned it over, my eyes skimming over the blank, black cover.

The rough spine, as well, was blank.

A notebook?

My interest intrigued with my curiosity, without a thought of intrusion or impose I flipped the book back around to where my fingers had kept the page from where the it had laid open.

My eyes skimmed over the rough cream of the paper.

… It was just pencil marks. No words, no drawings, just the length of rough lead marking from odd angels down the page.

I frowned at it… it reminded me of something a kid would do when armed with crayons—but for some reason, this didn't really feel all that childish.

I flipped the page… and was greeted by the same impression, but the pressure from the pencil left dents in the paper this time, and I slid my fingers onto the rough thin material to skim them over the smooth shine of the lead marks.

I raised an eyebrow and looked back to Yuki.

Never heard of anyone doing this before.

I lifted one side of the notebook vertically, my thumb placed on the edge of the pages as I flipped them down—some pages only had a light shade disturbing the cream of the paper, but others were nearly covered by the dark dents of black, the lead like smeared coal.

Not one page had a word.

And not one page had an evident picture.

..but somehow, it seemed really personal, so I closed the book and frowned at it again. What was the point to that?

I turned back to face Yuki.

He didn't really seem like the guy to do pointless things—everything he did, to me, had some kind of intention, some kind of deliberate purpose.

It caught me a bit odd, but it was just a notebook. So I slid the book onto his night table, nudging the stale glass of water aside, and gathered back my reason for intruding.

Pushing aside the desire to look around for something else to stall me, I took another step until my shin brushed against the fabric of his sheets.

"…oi, Yuki," I said, my voice sounding like a cracking whip against the silence of his room.

Yuki, however, did not stir, so I raised my voice, "Oi, Yuki, wake up,"

His chest rose slightly as he breathed in a silent, calm breath of sleep—and I grimaced… alright, plan b. I wasn't about to scream my lungs out at him—I wasn't _that _stupid.

I felt my hand twitch in reluctance to my demand before I lifted it hesitantly and held it just over the collar of his white shirt—and the skin of my palm tingled at the illusion of energy emitting from Yuki's shoulder… or was it just the tension of being so close to touching him after a while of abstinence?

"Yuki…?" I tried again almost desperately, but my voice was barely above a breath this time and Yuki stayed oblivious to my intruding presence.

A part of me sung for joy as my eyes watched my fingers carefully ran over the soft fabric of his shirt, and I felt my fingertips brush onto the soft, smooth skin of his ashen shoulder.

Familiar warmth shivered up through my fingertips, up my arm, through my bicep, and to my shoulder which tensed at the sensation.

…for some reason, I expected him to be ice cold, and hard as rock the way he's been acting with me.

I wanted to laugh at myself—I get so intimidated by this guy.

This boy who can sleep through hell and back, is he really the anchor to all my problems? How the hell can someone so soft, so delicate, be the igniter of my raging inferno?

…or maybe that's not it.

I frowned down at Yuki.

My anger is mine, a familiar comfort, a reassuring retort, my anger is where I can dwell without hating myself so completely, it's where I can take it out on the people around me, instead of lashing it out inside of me.

So why wasn't my rage a comfort yesterday?

I retrieved my hand from his shoulder to shove it into my hair feverishly in agitated confusion.

Well this is just fricken irritating.

If I can't get mad at him then who—

I blinked.

Oh… shit, wow, that's something.

'_if I can't get mad at him'_? Have I just been mad at him because I was used to that? Was I just holding my frustration over him, because that's what I've been doing for so long?

I looked at Yuki with frustration—and to my dismay, the thought felt more right then getting angry at him yesterday. If that's how it is, then how come I've just come to think of it now?

I slid my hand out of my hair… is it because I haven't been angry for the last few months? Is it because… over the time I've actually been _with _him, there wasn't a moment when I got seriously angry?

I was a bit shocked to understand this, cuz I'm usually always raging around in irritation half the time—but now that I thought of it, over the last while, the only emotion I can really recall was…

I rested my hand behind my neck, and hung my head back, letting out quiet groan. Okay, spending too much time in my head. I dropped my head back down—Yuki does enough mind time for the both of us, I needed to take action instead of just plunging myself further into confusion.

I reached out my hand again and, ignoring the dying impulse to do it slowly and devour the sensation, I placed my hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly, "Yo, anyone there?" I kept my voice louder then normal, and I saw Yuki wince slowly at the physical disturbance… but he didn't do much more so in frustration I lowered my face closer to his and shook his shoulder more insistently, "Oi! Wake _up _alread—" something suddenly covered my mouth, and I felt my insides clench at the sudden physical contact as Yuki's ivory eyelids slowly slid open…

Yuki lazily tilted his head to look up at me—and though his hazy lilac eyes were softly unfocused and glazed over in sleep, they still managed to paralyze me.

And it startled me.

He looked at me for a moment as I stared back at him—the impact… the sudden acceleration of my heart beat, the growing heat of my blood, the tightening of my stomach and swelling of my throat… I hadn't expected it.

Everything inside of me suddenly melted.

…hadn't… hadn't I lost this? Didn't we snap this in half yesterday?

Why did I feel like a hot, wet cloth was suddenly wrapped tight around my heart?

Yuki held my eyes, and just when I was starting to think he'd fallen back asleep, he let out an annoyed, sleepy moan and pushed me away with the hand he had covering my mouth while sliding his eyes back closed and turning his face back into his pillow.

…Oh no you _don't_— "Heyhey, wake up," I shook at his shoulder again and Yuki pulled out of my grip lazily with a slumber-soft moan, and rolled on his stomach, but I grabbed his arm and turned him over to his back, "I'm not gonna leave till you get up!" I promised him in a determined voice.

"nnn..." Yuki slid his arm over his eyes with a disgruntled noise before he let it fall away onto his pillow, and his foggy silver eyes slide open to find me.

The hot cloth was back around my heart, making it pump painfully faster.

And just like that—it all seemed stupid.

The confusing thoughts, the angered reactions, the storming around and yelling at Shigure cuz I've been breaking things… it was all so stupid.

I frowned at him, curious at the tranquility of my irritation, and I lowered myself down to my knees. With my eyes level with his, I crossed my arms onto his sheets before hiding half of my face in them, still unable to let go of his gaze.

What is it about him… that gets under my skin so easily?

What is it about him that makes him so damn _different _then everyone else to me?

If I had ever thought about being thrown into a situation like this, I would have known exactly what I would have done—I'm not humble, or generous, or understanding… I would have done only what would be easiest for me, I would have done what would give me the simplest way out. I would have done the most selfish thing, and I wouldn't have regretted it. I'd rather shove people away then be pushed away myself.

So why was I here? Why, instead of storming off someplace cursing at him, am I in his room?

Why the hell am I still so drawn to him, so _compelled_ to Yuki… hadn't it been his softer side that I was attracted to in the first place? Wasn't seeing that side of him the only reason why I was so taken by him? If that was true, then why, after having nothing but the cold side of him for the past few days, can't I get him out of my head? Why can't I find a way to stop feeling the same over him?

Yuki's foggy silver hair spilled around him in a messy haze, mirroring his sleep ridden eyes—he was patently still more asleep then awake.

… I like him too much.

I do, I like being around him, listening to his delicate voice that held a strength woven in each word, watching the reactions he tries to hide and glorifying when I'm the one to instigate them, making his porcelain cheeks tint in a surprised blush and feeling that swell of pride in my chest, seeing his lips curve in a tentative smile and wanting to blush at it, tugging on his messy hair when he wakes up just to have him try to wave me away sleepily, hearing him breathe slowly into sleep beside me, falling into that gentle gaze he only gave me, getting him agitated just so I could see that frustrated look in his eyes… I like him too much. I can't look at him and not think that way, not even with his defensive hard eyes on me—and that makes me more frustrated.

I like him more then I should—if I'd've known I would turn into such a _girl_ I don't know if I would have ever gotten myself into this. I've never felt like this before, not with anyone, ever.

Ever.

I unfolded my arms and looked at him more evenly, and Yuki's eyes glittered in recognition for a moment.

So if I like him so much, then why was I angry? I'll admit it, some of my anger was unjustified—but it still felt needed to me. My anger felt important, necessary, and I wanted to know why. If I wasn't angry over him… then _why_?

I searched Yuki's wakening eyes with agitation—when a strange emotion suddenly flashed through them like pale lightning across a sinister sky and Yuki grabbed his sheets and pulled them over his head as he rolled over onto his other side away from me.

I blinked at him—what was _that_?

"Hey," My hand reached out to tug the sheets down—but he pulled them away from me, holding them tight over his head, "_Hey—_" I tried again with irritation, but he remained obstinate and I growled a sigh before glaring at his sheet-covered body, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Go away!" He demanded, and I rolled my eyes in agitation, "Oh, what, _this _script again?" the frustration in my voice was overpowered by sarcasm.

"I _don't want to talk to you."_ His voice had a sharp edge of demand, so in my defiance I slid my knee onto his bed and grabbed the hand he was holding the sheets with, and I pulled at it—but he kept the sheets shoved over himself and I growled in irritation again, "What the hell you goddamn _hermit!" _

"Don't call me a hermit, Baka Neko!" He shot back, and I let out a sound of annoyance before yanking at his hand again, "You _are _a hermit, you're a fricken _turtle!"_

"I am _not_!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too—and your just _proving it to me_!" I shot, and finally succeeded in getting his grip off the sheets so I could pull them down. Yuki glared at the wall defiantly, and I grabbed his arm as a demand for attention, pushing him onto his back, "You just not gonna look at me?" I demanded—and Yuki remained unresponsive, his face turned away from me.

I glared down at him, waiting for him to sneer at me or something, but he was as defiant as a mule and I didn't have the patience, "Are you _seriously _not gonna talk to me!" My voice couldn't hide the overloading amount of frustration, and Yuki answered my question without uttering a word.

I seethed—and it was there again, that _anger_ I had felt yesterday… but instead of opening my mouth and letting it burst from my vocal cords, I tried to find the root of it—

It wasn't that hard when I paid attention to it, I've just made so many moves anchored by buried emotions and subconscious desires that it was basically instinct just to go with my gut reaction.

It wasn't hard to figure out—it was just unpleasant to understand. I was angry because his reclusive coldness makes me feel infantile, insignificant.  
He's given it to me before, by just being the rat, and I had unconsciously drowned out that emotion by smothering it with hate—but now that there was no hate to veil it, it made me feel so weak and stupid that I created my own anger to cover it up... and that insignificance was even more painful to feel, because of how significant Yuki's become to me.

I do everything I can to react to all these emotions he stirs inside of me, I fight them, I cling to them, push them away, I absorb them, I reject them, and I breathe them in—but it just feels like I cant make a difference to him… and for some reason, that thought triggered a sickly unpleasant feeling.

Like a scorching hot hook that's latched itself onto the pit of my stomach, weighing it down heavily into my gut.

I'm unimportant, unneeded.

I can't change things, I can't help anything—I just destroy things, I just make things worse.

Yuki pulled his arm out of my grip…

_Insignificant._

My hand reacted at the withdrawal, and suddenly the warmth of Yuki's fingers was wrapped by mine.

Am I insignificant?

Yuki's eyes were on our hands in reflex.

_Am I that insignificant to you?_

His ashen ivory eyes slid up to mine, and I felt my body seize up with hot, pounding panic that shot through my heart like a million metal shards.

_... does he even know?_

(Yuki's POV)

The electricity was washing up my arm from his hand like a shiver of warmth as a hot stream of water flowed into the cold of my bloodstream.

I had almost expected his skin to scorch mine, remembering how his eyes almost burned through me yesterday, but it was pleasantly warm… and I was even more caught off guard by how soft he was. His hand was so gentle, and a suddenly reassuring sensation flowed through me at the familiar feeling.

I looked up at him, confused by the gesture, and I felt my heart give a quick throb as his crimson eyes impaled me with further perplexity from the strange emotion swarming in them.

Why was he looking at me like that?

"I didn't _mean_ it!" Kyo suddenly blurted out, and I blinked into his agitated eyes.

What didn't he mean? Waking me up like the asshole he is? –was he talking about yesterday? Deciding that was the only thing he would possibly find any inch of remorse in, I rolled my eyes with the same exasperation that weighed my voice into a sigh, "I know."

I glanced back at Kyo, and it was his turn to blink at me. Then his eyes narrowed and the crimson was laced with glimmering irritation, his voice hotly agitated, "—then why the hell does it matter? What's the big fricken deal?"

Offence shot through my veins like greasy oil and my eyes narrowed into slits as I pushed myself up into a sitting position and shoved him away, "The _big deal _is that you said it _anyway!" _My voice was sharp and held my offence as I glared at him, "Why would you say something you don't mean?" I demanded in a jabbing voice, "What's the point of _speaking _if you say things you _don't mean_?"

"_Cuz maybe it meant something to _YOU!" His bark cracked through the air as his eyes suddenly lit into a frustrated fire, his agitation choking the atmosphere as I felt him tense with annoyance, "_Maybe I wanted to get in under your skin, the way you do to _ME!" I gave a start as he continued, "DO YOU HAVE _ANY _IDEA HOW ANNOYING IT IS WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN FIGHT A STUPID DAMN COW WITHOUT HAVING SOMEONE POPPING INTO YOUR HEAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE _GODDAMN MATCH?" _He demanded in a voice was rattled my walls with infuriation, his eyes the fiery depths of an accusing fire.

How like him, blaming _me _for his insufficiency in Martial Arts. I reached out when he took in another breath to yell more at me, and I covered his mouth quickly, flaunting my lack of amusement that this situation promised, "Alright, I get it." I told him with a sharp voice, seeing his eyes glow with an apprehensive emotion, "…You don't have to shout."

My head was already buzzing from his waking-up skills which he bestowed on me, and my mind was still too hazy with sleep to find any motivation in starting a quarrel with the evidently energetic Kyo.

But he wasn't finished with me yet.

He grabbed my hand and pushed it off to free his mouth, "NO _you _DON'T!" His agitation was peaking, thickening the air like smoke from a fire, as his eyes blazed with determined infuriation, "Y'KNOW, MAYBE I WAS ANGRY CUZ I KNEW THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN!"

I blinked at him before my eyes sliced into narrowed slits again, "Knew _what _was going to happen?" I challenged in a dangerously low voice.

Kyo's body tensed rigidly as his eyes flamed, his voice so hot I felt like my ears were burning, "I _KNEW _YOU'D BE WEIRD AFTER SEEING AKITO, I _KNEW _YOU'D CARE MORE ABOUT WHAT AKITO THINKS THEN ANYTHING!" His accusation involuntarily slid past my guard and my stomach twisted spastically from the impact, "WHY THE HELL DOES HE HAVE TO _MATTER SO MUCH TO YOU?" _Kyo roared at me until I felt my ribcage vibrate from the volume of his voice, "HE COULD SAY _ANYTHING IN THE GODDAMN WORLD _AND YOU'D BELIEVE HIM OVER _ME_ ANY FRICKEN DAY_!"_ A slicing edge of desperation heated the impact of his bellow, "DON'T _I _MATTER? DON'T _I _MATTER TO YOU?"

-the sudden alteration of meaning within the situation caught me off guard, and I stared at him with naked shock as my lips parted mechanically to speak, but my mind was suddenly so swiped clean of anything and everything that I couldn't find anything to say to his blinding red eyes—

But that didn't matter because Kyo plunged me back into the cage of his fire, "OR AM I JUST ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR GODDAMN FANGIRLS TO YOU?" His eyes burned with offence at the assumption, and I opened my mouth again to disagree with him, all insult and defensiveness suddenly fleeing from my body to be restored by desperation to reject the accusation he suddenly shoved onto my shoulders—

But before I could say anything Kyo pushed himself off my bed and stood with his hands in tight fists that trembled with rage, and shoulders that squared with insulted anger, and his eyes piercing with the blaze of insult, "WELL HERE'S SOME SHOCKING NEWS, _PRINCE_!" Kyo roared at me, his white teeth suddenly resembling threatening fangs, "I'M _NOT _ONE OF YOURS FANGIRLS, AND I'M _NOT _LIKE ANY OF THOSE GIRLS AT SCHOOL FOLLOWING YOU AROUND AND KISSING THE FLOOR YOU WALK ON!" I stared up at him as the volume of his hot voice shook through my body, "I'LL DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT, AND I'LL SAY WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT, CUZ I DON'T GIVE A SHIT WHAT YOU THINK OF ME!" He yelled, "CUZ Y'KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT A PRETTY LITTLE GIRL, I'M NOT A SWEET LITTLE PRINCESS, I'M A HUGE FUCKING ASSHOLE WITH A BITCH OF A TEMPER, AND YOU SURE AS HELL KNOW IT ALREADY SO WHY THE FUCK WOULD I PRETEND I'M ANY DIFFERENT?"

The moment in between his hot inhale was almost nonexistence, but it fell on my lungs in an impossibly heavy pressure before Kyo was roaring again, "I'M NOT GONNA PRETEND _ANYTHING _WITH YOU, SO DON'T PRETEND WITH ME! _DON'T PRETEND WITH ME!" _He screamed, "DON'T LIE TO ME! CUZ I ALREADY KNOW YOU, YOU AINT GONNA BE IMPRESSING ME LIKE ALL THOSE DUMBASS GIRLS AT SCHOOL! YOU CAN'T MANIPULATE ME BY BATING YOUR PRETTY EYELASHES OR HIDE THINGS BY FLASHING YOUR PERFECT SMILE, _THAT WONT WORK ON ME!" _

The offence was back in my bloodstream, and my heart gave on tight throb of insult that sent it powering through my body, and I throw aside my sheets before pushing myself off my bed as well and challenging him at eyelevel as my shoulders sharpened and my voice became a slicing shot, "What about _you_?" My voice nearly hissed through my teeth as I gave him a condescending glare, "You're the one saying things just to _make noise_,"

"_AUGH-_YOU THINK YOU KNOW _EVERYTHING _DON'T YOU!" He roared back at me and I narrowed my eyes further to pierce him with a glare, fighting his fire with my ice.

Kyo took in a flaming breath, his chest expanding, "YOU WANNA KNOW WHY I SAID THAT? _I SAID IT CUZ IT MADE YOU LISTENED TO ME! _I SAID IT CUZ FOR THAT MOMENT WHAT _I _SAID MATTERED TO YOU! I WAS PISSED OFF BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU TREATED ME LIKE AN IDIOT I STILL COULDN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT YOU—AND WHEN YOU WERE IGNORING ME LIKE SOME USELESS PET IT ONLY MADE ME WANT TO TRY HARDER TO GET YOUR ATTENTION—AND I DUNNO WHY I JUST—NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO I JUST-" Kyo's eyes slammed shut as his hands shoved themselves feverishly into his hair as he bowed forward in aggravation— "GOD_DAMMIT! _I JUST—" His eyes back on mine, "I JUST WANT TO_ BE WITH YOU, DAMMIT!"_

… I blinked at him, his words sending an echo of aftershock through my swelling chest.

...Wait, what?

My arms wrapped around me and I felt a disturbingly heavy weight ooze into my heart as I stared at the floor in shock.

He's not supposed to say that! He's not supposed to tell me that! He's not supposed to—that's not how this goes, that's not how-

My insides twisted unpleasantly as I felt my arms tighten around my suddenly weak body.

Why's he saying that? Isn't he disgusted with me? How can he, after how long I've kept up this attitude, still want to be with me? This wasn't Tohru, or Momiji, or Haru, or any other person—this was _Kyo_… Kyo the hot-headed and impatient Neko.

It was sick, but I didn't stop myself… I searched for Akito, something to cling to, something to help me reject this hopefully lovely feeling starting to swell up inside of my chest, tightening around my heart until it was thumping in pleasant desperation.

I can't get conceited, I can't do that to myself—I can't do this to myself! My eyes were slammed closed as I reluctantly pulled Akito from the depths of my unconscious…

But before that sick cold could wrap around my throbbing heart and still it back into a frozen, slow pulse I felt warmth that washed through my body like a steaming waterfall from the soft skin that touched my hands.

"What the hell are you doing?"

_erg-_why cant he just disappear!

I clenched my teeth together as his frustrated voice caressed the rabid manic thoughts that I was throwing around in my racing mind—and I didn't even know I was shaking my head until Kyo was holding my chin still.

He tilted my face up so he could appraise me with cautious and curious eyes underneath a furrowed brow, the aftermath of his fire simmering around the rim of his irises… and Kyo stepped closer, until I could almost feel his shirt brush against the fabric of mine. My own feet were frozen against my floor.

I couldn't hide the sudden naked panic that I felt swarming in my eyes—I couldn't pull my guard up, I couldn't slide that glass over my eyes, I felt so _vulnerable _it was making me sick… but my heart was pounding so gleefully in my chest, my blood singing as it fled through my veins in lively beats.

Kyo cocked his head slightly, his eyes shifting with frustration as he appraised me cautiously, and I felt his breath ghost over my skin as he spoke, "…You want me too, right?"

My heart, racing in my chest, drowned out the sound of his breathing, but it couldn't halt the thrilling sensation that rushed over my skin at the feeling of his warm breath over my lips. I could feel his body heat through the inch of electrified space between us, and I couldn't still my lungs easy enough to keep my breath from shaking… and having him so familiarly close, I knew he could feel it.

I'm madat him, I don't want him to be here right now- I'm _mad-_

My blood gushed from my heart—and in one swift move, I uncurled my arms and made to shove Kyo back, but he captured my hands with his, sensing the hesitance my body held in the gesture, and he stubbornly crossed my arms between our chests as he stepped closer. His eyes were so invasive, penetrating through me until my guard was merely a bunch of scrambled pieces, an unneeded afterthought—and he was so _close—_

"n—" I squished my eyes shut and turned my face away from him as far as I could, my heart was throbbing in short, tight pulses so pleasant it hurt… I didn't know what I was- angry, sad, upset, frustrated, lost, hurt, hopeful... while thoughts were streaming through my mind at an impossibly quick speed, and I opened my throat from it's tight clutch, "I don—" but I didn't finish, for my mind was being paralyzed by that trenchant gaze of his when his hand slid onto one side of my face to turn it back to him.

His eyes seared through mine, "Say it to _me_, Yuki-not Akito."

My heart gave another painful throb... he can see through me.

_He can see right through me, can't he?_

I panicked.

Neither my body nor my mind was going easy on me. The sound of my name seemed to soften his hard voice, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up as a chill of heat swept down my thin spine, and my heart tugged. My name… it sounded so pretty the way he said it. And suddenly I couldn't remember why I would say no. Why I would even think about saying no.

Kami-san, how did he _do _that?

After days of having nothing but rapid thoughts flicking spastically throughout my mind, not giving me a moment of peace even in sleep, I was suddenly completely and utterly incapable of forming a single coherent thought.

The hand that Kyo was using to hold my arms between us removed from my skin, only to lift up and slowly slide along the other side of my face… and he leaned his forehead against my own, our noses brushing against each other as he looked with gentle frustration into my eyes…

And his voice, though demanding, was feather soft, "I'm still your boyfriend, right?"

The burning in my throat tightened as his gentle breath ghosted through my parted lips—and my heart gave on painful throb at the gentleness in his voice.

... I wanted to throw something at him._ I _wanted to grab a tv and chuck it at his head, the stupid, confusing idiot-!

... and I wanted to kiss him.

But something was stopping me from weaving my hands into his hair, stopping me from pulling myself into him, stopping me from pressing my lips against his. Something was just _stopping _me.

The captivation he held me with, however, was not enough to make it easy for my hands to push him away again, or for my face to turn away from his. I could see the frustration lining around his eyes, and that beautiful shine of faint insecurity he tried to hide… he was giving me the chance to push him away, giving me the opportunity to say no—but he wanted me to say it honestly.

He _was_ cheating, though, no sane person could say no in my position.

This was so much harder to handle then being shoved up against a wall, or pinned on a bed, or pressed onto the floor—this was so much _worse _because I could take three steps back, and be barely an arms reach from those gentle hands. I could push him back, and have him away from me in seconds. He was giving me a choice, a chance to reject him.

It was pathetic—I felt more threatened against his vulnerability then his aggressiveness.

I hadn't shown an ounce of vulnerability, or weakness that I was aware of before he showed his own—usually it was me who let their own guard down first, it was me who encouraged him… but here he was, his handsome face scratched and bruised, his eyes honest, his hands tentative, his voice soft; all of it holding out on his frustration… and I couldn't find it in me to knock him down.

So with an aggravated groan I turned my face away from him, pulling out of his hands, and pushed at his chest, my voice holding a heavy weight of frustration, "_Fine._" I took my own step back, the frozen bones of my feet thawed, "You're still my _stupid, idiotic, asshole _of a boyfriend." the sincerity of my decision was covered heavily with my complete irritation towards the whole situation… but it didn't seem to offend Kyo at all.

He rolled his eyes, his expression apathetically irritated, and his voice claiming the same notion as he spoke, "Yeah, same to you."

But when he looked back at me, I saw the triumph in his eyes.

_Brrrreeep! Brrrreeep! Brrrreeep!_

I gave a start before turning around as the noisy sound rattled through my room from my alarm clock. "Oh…" I reached over and clicked it off, the sound snapping into sudden silence as Student Council swarmed back into my mind. At least I had an excuse to leave this house today.

I looked back at Kyo and he frowned at me… and I finally found my guard and slid it back up, lacing my arms across my chest as I looked at him expectantly, my eyes slightly narrowed in suspicion, "You just want the right to beat up whoever's near me." I accused.

I saw the amusement spark in his eyes, and he snorted, "hell with your permission, I'd do that anyway."

Noting the stupidity this conversation was holding, and reminding myself that I have much more important things to do then stand here and throw around pointless comments, I made to move past him and dismiss him with the gesture—but Kyo ignored the notion as usual.

His arm was around my waist, stopping me from going forward and I didn't protest as he stepped in front of my path…

Kyo looked at me with frustrated caution, but even though I knew he caught my disagreeing look it didn't stop him from giving me a confidently firm gaze and bringing his face closer to mine slowly until his breath was back on my lips...

Despite how his words cut through me yesterday, I wasn't able to reject him when he put himself into my hands like that—(even though he was shouting, he had still shown me vulnerability with what he had said). But seeing as I still accepted him like he did me, it didn't mean that the offence from yesterday was washed clean… so it was easier this time to grab hold of myself and my hands pushed onto his chest again as I pulled my own face away from his, my eyes glaring as I looked at him.

"That didn't mean I'm happy with you, Cat." I told him in a dangerous voice that implored him to see caution.

Kyo matched me equally, his eyes hard and arrogant like his voice, "not happy with you either, rat."

"Fabulous, now that we're on the same _page_," I grabbed his elbow, deciding to cut this short instead of shooting a retort back at him, and I pulled him across my room to my door, which I pulled open, "I have a meeting to get to, and you still have a few good bones to break." I pushed him out of my room and he looked at me as if he knew that was coming.

"I'll burst a few veins for you too, how bout that." He crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.

I kept my one hand on my doorknob while I let the other slide onto the door frame and I looked at him.

… You know, the more predictable I think his unpredictability is… the more spontaneous he becomes to me.

I didn't get it.

I looked at him with cautious frustration, and I caught a slight flicker of emotion cast over his haughty eyes.

_I don't get you._

...Then a strange feeling came—it wasn't one I've ever felt before, it wasn't what he usually gave me… it wasn't pleasant, or blissful, or glamorous… it had my stomach curling, and a sudden swelling bloomed inside of my ribcage that had it expanding almost painfully as my throat clutched tight… a hot craving pulsed through me, an impending desire that had my lungs contracting… it wasn't pleasant—yet it wasn't cold, or dark, or sharp… but it still felt dangerous to me, and so I rejected it quickly.

My hand tightened on my doorknob… and I felt Kyo's eyes start to penetrate through my own.

...I have important things to do today.

I turned my face from him, tearing my eyes from his like burned skin off a heater, and suddenly it was much easier for me to breathe.

My hand loosened its grip on the knob, and I closed my door on Kyo.

**AN- **_-exhales- _i'm not sure about this chapter... but it's been a ridiculously long time since an update, so this will have to do. please **!REVIEW! **and tell me what you think, cuz i'm really up the wall on this one...Thank you!

(thanks to all the summary suggestions! and thanks to **And Thus- I Fangirled** for the standing one!)


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter Sixty**

(Yuki's POV)

"_ugh._"

My arms crossed themselves over my laptop's keyboard, and my head slumped down to rest on them.

This was _annoying._

I can't work.

I bit my lip, taking in another breath of air to help loosen my suddenly anxious stomach, and I pushed myself back up straight to look into the glow of my computer screen.

The light was blinding in contrast to the dark surrounding me, and I squinted slightly before hanging my head back onto my chair and sighing into the room.

It's not irregular for disconcerting thoughts to leak into my mind and poison my concentration, but it was definitely not a huge issue when it came to direct memories. I was good at blocking out what I didn't want to reminisce over, though the feelings would often consume me… this time, however, was different—for the memory of yesterday kept sliding into the front of my mind in vivid and clear repossession.

It felt like every time I racked my mind trying to think of a way to word a sentence, or a pattern to organize—he'd be right beside me, barking stupid remarks, or roaring confusing chasms into my comprehension, or smirking next to my ear while that low voice spoke instigating words that had me glancing around under false belief of his presence… and then my stomach would drop with what felt repulsively like disappointment, and I would avert my eyes with dwindling determination back into the vibrating glow of the computer screen.

What he had said yesterday, how he had recovered control over his rage—it wasn't what I had expected, so it confused me… and I hated feeling confused.

I found myself pulling that memory out to examine it like a pathologist to a dead corpse, finding anything suspicious or doubtful… but all I could pull out was that impending confusion that had my thoughts scattering together, and my insides twitching as if they weren't sure of where they belonged.

I slid my fingers back onto my keyboard.

It was late, I knew that… but it did my stomach better not knowing how long I've been staying up trying to find my concentration, so my alarm was shunned from my sight, turned to face my wall.

Usually I like doing this, staying up all night working—it gave me something to do, something that kept my over-active mind busy, it kept my subconscious from lashing out on me in the sleep I neglect.

However, the tortures of my subconscious were looking somewhat tempting next to my persistently acute memory… but despite which consciousness I would rather be mocked by, Student Council had executed the account of my preference by the demanding work it loaded onto me as of yesterday's meeting.

I had gotten up early this morning in order to walk Tohru to her job for the day, but if I had instead stayed home to start working I would have surely fallen asleep all over again.

I slumped forward and my elbow slid onto my desk for me to hide my face in with an exhausted moan.

There was a lot of preparations that had to take place prior to the school year, and the principle would surely have seen it as doable when considering the number of people on the Student Council—but they did not take into terms how much work we got done as a group, and as individuals… it was surely below any reasonable standard, and I shouldered a lot of responsibility in determination to overcome the stress. I had to work hard… there were a lot of people counting on me.

A lot of… responsibility and…

The crook in my elbow was suddenly quite warm and comfortable, and the clean laundry-fresh smell emitting from my blue long-sleeved shirt was suddenly very mesmerizing…

I could smell the color… and it began to dance sluggishly in the drifting of my mind…

There were… many… things to… do still…

My eyelashes fluttered closed, and I felt that cursed mist start blurring my thoughts into slurring melodies that weaved in and out of my perception…

A lot… of…

My shoulders slumped over my keyboard as the washing feeling of relaxation hummed through my wilting limbs…

Expect…ations…

Sleep took me swiftly.

And all but the dancing blurs which had been thoughts… was forgotten.

_/I stared at him._

_I stared… a sickening weakness washed through my limbs._

_He was far. He made sure he was far._

_Far enough that I could see those eyes, far enough that I could feel those __eyes__… but too far to gauge them out, too far to tare them from his sockets and be rid of them once and for all._

_Then he backed away._

_And my juicy heart gave one sickening throb that clumped my blood through my narrowing veins… and the forest surrounding him, the dark looming trees that I hadn't even noticed—too preoccupied by those eyes—began to consume him._

_He began to dim…_

_Then I heard it—a disconcerting sound, an unnerving tic, tic, ticking, that pulsed through me and clogged my blood at the tubes in my heart. In a hasty panic that vibrated through me, I searched for the noise, that __noise__… and I brought my wrist up to my face._

… _A watch. A watch was latched around the incredible white of my wrist…_

'_I can see my bones.' I whispered into the black._

_And the black… hollow and impending… whispered back._

_My head snapped back up, and panic struck into me. _

_He was gone._

_Sickness was spreading through my lungs, and it ebbed through my bones—_

_For it was then that I realized that the forest had not consumed him._

_The forest… was consuming __me__._

_The ticking struck into my heart, as if it was embedded into the thickening cream of my frozen blood, and my feet were moving._

_The trees fled past me, streaming in thick ribbons of black and brown, but I wasn't sure if it was me who was racing against time or the forest, but the clock around my wrist began to tighten._

_And it began to tick faster._

_It ticked with my chilling heart._

_A bubble of vacuumed air expanded in the confines of my trembling ribcage, and my breath began to freeze inside of my solidifying lungs…_

_But I saw him._

_He was there, __there__!_

_There so close! Right there! So far, so incredibly far, but I can see him!_

_He's real!_

_He's real! He's real! He's real!_

_The bubble in my chest filled with enthusiastic relief, and I pushed myself forward to find him…_

_But I did not move._

_And neither did the forest… for the ticking had stopped._

_I felt the blood drain from my face._

_And in such impending slowness that slothed through my entire existence, my neck creaked as my eyes left that definable form of desire… and wandered onto the murky ground of the ghosting forest._

_On that shadowed ground of filthy black… stood out a glow of ebbing white._

_I stared as the watch glared up at me… latched around a broken bone._

_The bubble of relief imploded inside of my chest, creating a vast black hole and my innards began to be consumed by the sucking abyss within myself—_

_I looked down at my arm._

_But it was not there, for there it lay… faithfully fading as broken as the watch that wore it._

_And I began to fade…\-_

"Yuki?"

I dizzily felt myself blur back into consciousness…

"Yuki-kun?"

…Where am I…?

I took in the comfortable soft that my body was lying on… maybe I was on a cloud or sumthin…

"Yuki-ku… Shi-Shigure-San!"

Shigure? What's he doing on my cloud…

"Shigure-san I think something's wrong with Yuki-kun! He's not waking up!"

I'm not waking up?

…am I dead?

My heavy eyelids snapped opened and I found that my face was planted in something soft—

"Yuki-kun! _Yuki-kuuun!" _

I groaned—and the pleading stopped.

I felt an odd sensation tingle up my limbs as I moved them, resurrecting them from their jelly-like state.

I turned my face to the side and squinted up as my vision shifted between blur and focus.

"…Miss Honda…?" My voice was groggy with sleep and slurred from my throat.

A very blurry and nervous Tohru shoved her face close to mine, and if I jerked back out of reflex, "Yuki-kun? Are you okay? I'm so sorry for intruding but I noticed that you hadn't come downstairs yet and I wanted to see if everything was alright—_are you alright?"_

I lifted a hand lazily to slide it over my eyes as I let out another disgruntle noise. My eyes finally took in my surroundings as I let my hand fall from my face.

The first thing I noticed was a very obnoxious glowing that made my eyes hurt, but when I tried to focus I noticed that it was my laptop… I had left it on…

…I fell asleep at my desk, hadn't I?

I must have sleep-walked back to my bed… it hadn't helped very much, for I felt a horrible ach in the spine of my back when I shifted on my mattress.

"Honda-san, I'm sorry…" I tried to sound coherent, but all I managed was a sleep-drunk mumble, "Can you get Kyo to walk you, I'm really… really tired…today…" I felt my heavy eyelids droop closed as my vision shifted and blurred…

"A-actually, I have a later shift, in the evening, so I don't work quite yet… I came to wake _you_ up, Yuki, I'm sorry I didn't come earlier, if they're angry at you, please blame it on me, it's my responsibility to take care of you all and then I forget to wake you up when you have something important—I know you didn't ask me, but it's still rude not to after all that you've done for me, and I wasn't able to help you out I'm sorry! I'll try harder next time I swear! I—"

"Wha?"

Tohru blinked at me as I blinked up at her.

She fiddled with her fingers as she gave me a concerned look, "Yuki-kun, you—don't you have a Student Council…meeting…today…?"

…

I blinked up at her.

…

And then it clicked.

"That's _today?" _I shot up and Tohru let out a peep at my sudden outburst, and my attention shot to my alarm clock—but it was turned away from me from last night, so I grabbed it and held it up to inspect the time—

"I completely forgot!" My mind shot into focus as I grabbed my sheets and tossed them off my body, but when I pushed myself out of bed, I had to grab onto my night table to keep myself from falling over when the gravity beneath my feet suddenly shifted from my weak knees.

How could I have forgotten about that—I even forgot to set my alarm clock!

"A-ah! I'll get you some breakfast!" Tohru bowed repeatedly as she backed out of my room, "Sorry for the trouble!"

Before I could contradict her statement, Tohru had escaped out of my room and closed my door behind her.

The blood decided to drain from my head at that moment, and gravity shifted beneath me once more as I slid a hand back over my eyes.

Great—_great._

My second meeting of the year, and I'm going to be late.

I sighed dis-heartedly before pushing myself away from my night table and making my way to my closet, where I dropped to my knees to pick up the two articles of clothing on top of the pile.

Sinking into dismay, I let my shirt shed itself from my shoulders after unfastening the few buttons I had done up, and I slid out of my pants before pulling on my Uniform ones.

I fiddled with the zipper before tugging it up and fastening the button over top, and I grabbed my shirt to slide my arms through the short white sleeves before tugging the collar properly around my neck. The buttons fastened co-operatively and quickly with my haste, but I decided to neglect my tie since that took me too long to figure out.

I stuffed my laptop and papers into my bag and when I finally got the zipper to fasten after a few insisting tugs I slung the bag over my shoulder before opening my door.

As I wandered down the hall I tried to keep my vision from spinning out of my sudden awakening… it usually took me a while to be completely coherent, so I wouldn't be surprised if I tripped down the stairs—

So when I got to the staircase, I slowly descended it with a hand gliding along the wall next to me for reassuring support, and I made it to the bottom in one still-conscious piece.

"Why, Yuki, you're up late."

"Nn…" I passed Shigure and wandered toward the sink, on a hunt for a glass of water which my sticky mouth and dry throat was in much need for.

"KYON-CHAN!"

I flinched as Shigure's booming voice rattled my head like a baby with a toy, "NO NEED TO FRET, YUKI IS AWAKE AND WELL!" I turned my neck slowly to send an icy glare in the direction of the beaming Shigure, who then leaned towards me with a grin, "He's been a bit frazzled—HAVEN'T YOU KYO-KUN?"

"DON'T SHOUT SO FRICKEN LOUD IN THE MORNING, GODDAMMIT!" The dining room door flew open to reveal a tempered and contradicting Kyo. Shigure chuckled behind me, "Now, Kyon-chan, I believe you owe me a thank-you for easing your troubles—"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S BEEN TROUBLING ALL DAMN _MORNING!"_

With a sighing moan I slid my hands onto my ears, abandoning my search for a glass, and I closed my eyes as if to will the noise away—but Kyo kept yelling, and Shigure kept teasing, and my head was spinning like a top on drugs—

"Uhn, be _quiet_," I turned around and stopped Kyo mid-roar by shoving my hand over his mouth.

…

The movement had become so familiar to me over the last few months that it resurrected a calm feeling through me like a tide of luke-warm water as I felt his breath ghost over the soft palm of my hand…

…and that was just enough to lure my conscious further away…

…okay, clearly not awake just yet…

Kyo pulled my hand away—snapping me momentarily out of my daze, his brow lining with frustration, "What?"

I blinked, "Hn?"

Kyo battered, "_Don't go shoving your goddamn hand over my mouth if you got nothing to say!"_

I looked at him for a moment… then I slipped my hand from his, shrugging indifferently and turning back around to look for a glass of water.

… I wondered if I could be as noisy as he was, or if it was just a special talent.

Maybe if I had a megaphone and a nuclear weapon, I thought as I held a glass underneath the tap and filled it up with water.

"Yuki?"

I looked over my shoulder at Shigure while tipping the glass to my lips, "You should probably get moving, you're meeting starts quite soon, doesn't it?—oh and Tohru! Since you're not leaving until later, will you be making lunch?" Shigure scuttled with enthusiasm out of the kitchen and into the dining room to Tohru.

I let out a sigh when I felt my heart drop inside of me.

I put my glass into the sink and my elbows rested against the counter as my face slid into my hands… "Great." I murmured, feeling the heavy weight of failure pull my stomach.

"Sulking isn't gonna do anything."

I clenched my teeth with annoyance, "I don't need to hear that from _you_."

"_What's that suppose to mean_?"

I slid my hand away from my face just enough so that I could glare at Kyo, "You're the _reason _I got no sleep, so don't even bother."

His face twisted in distaste, "What the hell don't go blaming _me _for you're stupid sleeping patterns!" He barked in defense and I felt my annoyance rise as I replied, "My sleeping patterns aren't _stupid!" _I regularly got overly sensitive when I was still waking up, "It was your stupid nature that _makes _them stupid!"

"_I haven't even seen you for two fricken days!"_

I pushed away from the sink, "How about we try to go for _six next time_!"

"That's just _fine with me_!"

"_Good_!"

"GOOD!"

We stared each other down, crimson burning into violet, amethyst piercing into burgundy, until—

"AH-HAH HAH HAH!"

Kyo's face mirrored mine when it flash into one of ultimate terror as a hand clamped down on his shoulder—

"Have I been so lucky to have wandered upon a _lover's quarrel _so early in this dismal day_?_"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" Kyo flared his arms in attempt to escape the imposing grip on his shoulder as he ducked out of the way; revealing a beaming Ayame who placed his hands wittily on his hips and let out a ringing laugh that could have filled a mansion.

"Why, Kyon-kichi," Ayame lifted a finger knowingly, "_'friends are always welcomed amongst friends'!"_

"You're using that out of context!" I responded at the same time as Kyo, "WHO THE HELL YOU CALLING FRIE—"

"Aya,"

Ayame spun around, his cascading silver hair washing through the air as I leaned over to the right, looking around my older brother to see Shigure slouching against the dining room entrance, his forearm leaning against the doorframe above his head as his eyes glimmered mischievously, "I was beginning to wonder… when you would return to me."

From behind, I saw Ayame lift a hand to slide his long fingers underneath his chin in a pondering gesture, "Ah, Gure-san… I could not stay away one more lonely night; you have become, I dare say… my _addiction_."

A grin broke out on Shigure's face which I was sure mirrored the one on Ayame's as they reached out their thumbs-up in unison, "A-lright!"

"Give it A DAMN _BREAK!"_ Kyo's repulsed voice shouted through the kitchen.

I slid my hand over my eyes, my teeth gritting with aggravation, "It's too early for this… it's _too early…"_

"Ayame-san!" Tohru bustled into the scene with glowing eyes, "Ayame-san, it's been so long!" Her bow was so frantic that Shigure reflexively reached out as if to catch her, but when she popped back up, Shigure stumbled back in shock and Ayame spread his arms in a warm welcome, "TOHRU! Ah your everlasting beauty has not yet been withered by the brute clutches of these mischievous men that surround you!" Shigure protested with a hand, "Ah, now, now, Aya, we're not all that mischievous…"  
"Tohru! Let us embrace!" Ayame boomed in a dramatic voice as he took a stride toward her, "Let your youthful beauty wash over my aging soul AND WE SHALL PURIFY EACH OTHER IN—"  
Kyo and I both latched with dangerously violent grips on Ayame's shoulder and held him back, our voices united with repulse and peril, "_Touch her and I'll rip your arms off."_

Ayame blinked between Kyo and I—and then he let out another laugh and—

"If you insist!" Before I could stop him I felt his arms latch around my waist and I was pulled into his chest with Kyo at my side, "A GROUP HUG, THEN! TO REUNITE OUR INTERTWINED HEARTS! THE BOND BETWEEN SIBLINGS SPROUTS FROM THE DEEP EARTHS OF LOVE, MY DEAR YUKI! WE MUST NURISH OUR LOVE! BROTHER TO BROTHER!"

"WHY THE HELL AM I IN HERE THEN!" Kyo screamed basically into my ear and I shoved Ayame away with all my grumpy strength and Kyo stumbled back and sent a glare of utter repulse at Shigure who trying to hide his spastic snickering behind the fabric of his navy kimono, while Tohru looked absolutely delighted by Ayame's affectionate aura—no doubt completely missing the murderous vibes emitting sourly from both Kyo and I.

"Yuki—" Ayame gracefully fell to one knee in a swift motion and my hand was habitually clasped by his, "as of the last we had met, our bond has _deepened_, I feel overpowered by the love that is flowing between us, and we must nourish that now! We must keep it strong, and powerful! It must be _nourished!" _Ayame looked behind me at Tohru, "WE MUST FEED IT! TOHRU!" Ayame shot back up, and spun me around to thump me into his chest, an arm around my shoulder as I felt the shock on my face, "PREPARE US A MEAL FIT FOR TWO BELOVED BROTHERS SO WE CAN LATHER EACH OTHER IN EVERLASTING AFFECTION THAT WILL WITHSTAND THE TESTS OF TIME AND HUMANITY—"

I twisted out of his grip, "_Don't order Miss Honda around_, Nii-san!"

"But I would be most delighted to—I mean there's already food on the table, but I would love to—"

"You're not cooking _anything _for that guy!" Kyo ordered Tohru who immediately piped down.

"Going to be late, have to leave," I ducked quickly out of the scene—but an arm snatched mine and I was met by Ayame's confident golden eyes, "Where are you off to, my brother?"

"Yuki-kun has a Student Council meeting!" Tohru chirped before I could answer—and Ayame immediately lit up, "WHAT AN EXCELLENT OCCUPATION!"

"Uuugh!" I tried tugging my arm out of my brother's grip, but despite how he wasn't paying any attention to the fact that his hand was cutting off my circulation his hold did not break, and he beamed at me, "Why, Yuki, let us go together! I shall buy us ice cream!"

"I'm going to be late!" I tugged against him insistently, "I don't have _time _Nii-san!"

"THEN WE MUST HURRY!"

"Don't come with me!" I ordered, pushing Ayame back before he could build any momentum.

"Alright, alright, alright!" Ayame backed away with a silly smile, flapping his hand indifferently, "I understand, I am a danger against your concentration! You would get distracted by your natural enthrallment with your brother's presence, and I would make you late for your powerful duty that has been passed down to you from YOURS TRULY!" He pressed a hand majestically against his chest and his smile blasted the room with royal light—

I blinked at him before recovering myself, one hand sliding back to boarder my forehead while the other held itself out in defeat, "Yes, right, that's why."

Mornings.

Why must this always happen…

In the _mornings…_

"And while you are devoting your time to work—I SHALL PUSH ASIDE MY BUSY AND IMPROTANT AGENDA TO SPEND TIME WITH KYON-KICHI!"

Everyone suddenly snapped their attention to Kyo who looked completely puzzled from suddenly being pulled into the ridiculous situation—

"LIKE HELL YOU ARE!" He screamed, and I turned around at the opportunity to slip quietly away while the attention was averted from me, and I scurried down to the entrance hall and slid my feet into my shoes.

"It will be lovely! I shall buy you ice cream! How would you like that, Kyon-Kichi?"

"YOU AINT BUYING ME ANY GODDAMN ICE CREAM!" Kyo screamed, "AND STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

I tried to block out the squabbling, but when Kyo bustled down the hallway and shoved on his own shoes while I opened the door I spoke up, "What are you doing?"

"_What do you think I'm doing? _I'm going with you!" Kyo pushed me aside to escape through the door—and Ayame was on our heels,

"Why, Kyon-kichi, you are ever so eager to go out with your lover's older brother, I AM THRILLED MYSELF LET US BE O—" I slammed the door in front of his face, but late enough to give him to chance to react and there was a thud when he hit the door and fell onto the floor behind it—

"… Ah, Yuki! An obstacle between us! I SHALL BE RID OF IT!"

I turned to Kyo quickly as I held the door tightly shut, "_Get me something!"_  
"_What!" _He hissed.

"_Anything!"_

"Hold on!" Kyo whirled around in a search while I felt the door tug insistently and I kept my grip firm on the door,

"NOTHING WILL KEEP US FROM BEING TOGETHER!" Ayame gave another powerful wretch at the door, "MOVE ASIDE, UNWORTHY DOOR!" and I almost caught the muffled request of Shigure over something like 'don't break my door…'

"_Can't we be together some other time?" _I demanded before Kyo popped up beside me with a shovel, and he shoved the handle underneath the doorknob before slamming his heel down on the shovel-end, digging it into the wooden porch. "Should hold that bastard." Kyo said confidently.

"Alright?" I slowly let go of the doorknob—and Kyo and I reached out reflexively when the door rattled, but the shovel held it shut.

I sighed in aggravation before shifting my bag on my shoulder and I turned to walk off the porch, and I quickly paced into the clearing.

Kyo caught up with me, "Why haven't we tied him to a tree yet."

"I'm beginning to wonder the same thing." I responded, my insides tight with agitation.

(Shigure's POV)

I placed the hot cup of tea on the table in front of Ayame as he beamed up at me, "Thank you, Gure-san! Ever so nice."

"My pleasure." I sat myself down at the head of the table, fidgeting with my kimono before taking my own cup of tea into my hand, "…actually, it's me who should be thanking you." I mused.

"Hmmm?" Ayame tipped the cup to his lips, his eyes inquiring me.

I brought my own cup to my face, feeling the steam condense onto my face, "the air around here has been awfully thick lately, let us say." I tipped the rim to my lips and felt the warm taste fill my mouth.

Ah, tea. A relaxing contrast… it's so nice to have a lively house.

"Ah, yes… I heard those two have been quite the two dramatics lately." Ayame chuckled.

I chuckled with him, "You're heavenly presence forbids all others, dear Aya-san," I complimented him.

"It does, doesn't it?" He brushed aside his hair with an elegant hand, "As a man seeking to fulfill his peek of his power, I have devoted my entire life to re-unite this world with love and passion—"

"Yes, well, I think it's their lack of appreciation towards that goal that units them." I said cheerily.

Ayame's eyes popped at me while his lips shrunk to a dubious size, "you don't say." Then Ayame snapped back up, "Ahaha! Well, anything to keep the children happy!"

"Ah yes, the children."

"To the children!" Ayame lifted his tea cup.

"The children!" I agreed and mimicked the gesture, then I lifted my eyebrow mischievously, "And to our witty minds."

Ayame slid into his own devilish expression, "Yes, to those too."

We sipped from our cups.

(Kyo's POV)

"Could you _shut up _already!"

"Why? am I _bothering _you?"

"_Yes you're bothering me!"_

"GOOD!" I barked, "Maybe if I dance around with cymbals and a top hat, we might be EVEN!"

Yuki's eyes glared at me while I saw the muscle in his cheek flex as he gritted his teeth, and I returned his annoyed expression.

However long we've been walking, it was clear that the arguing started about thirty steps after we left the house, both of us worked up from the unwelcomed appearance of his goddamn brother.

That guy seriously wore me out, to no height. Every single fricken time I'm near him, my energy is sucked out of my body—that's how I decided he gets all that damn energy, he sucks it out of everyone around him!

And he clearly did a good job with Yuki, cuz even now I'm restraining myself from getting a grip on his arm just to reassure myself that he won't fall over in a faint and fall asleep on the ground.

With agitation, Yuki slid his hand through his hair, which wasn't to top perfection like he usually had it when going to school. The shallow underneath his eyes was a faint shade of lilac, and his lips were paler then the usual blush they held.

He looked fragile again.

I haven't seen him looking this exhausted in a while, and here I thought all he did in his fricken room all day was sleep.

"You can forget the cymbals and top hat; you can make it into the circus without any props."

I was about to retort when a sudden thudding sound and high-pitched yelp made me jump, and my attention snapped to the pavement, where a disgruntled girl was sprawled onto face-first.

"Are you alright?" I watched expectantly as Yuki lit up with concern and fell to his knees beside the girl, who groaned, pushing herself up onto her elbows, "Fine _fine." _Her voice was clearly agitated, "this is the last time I'm volunteering for _anything _stupid brats making _me _go—" her voice cut off for she had lifted her eyes, which were bulging out of their sockets right now, as she gaped up at Yuki—and she perked up immediately, "Yuki Sohma!" She exclaimed.

"Ah… yes, hello," He said uncertainly while her huge blue eyes began to sparkle.

"How are you Sohma-kun? Did you have a good summer? It was lovely weather, wasn't it? It's been so long since I've seen you! How've you been? Can I just say you look _wonderful_," I scoffed at that.

Yuki looked overwhelmed by all the questions, and by the way his voice was uncertain I knew he didn't have the slightest clue who this clumsy-ass chick was, "Oh, well, yes, it was nice, thank you… um…?" he trailed off in question.

"I'm Jin," She said in a coyly shy voice, still lying on the sidewalk, her ankles lacing behind her as she cocked her brunet-framed face at him with a flirtatious smile on her lips, "And my summer was great, too."

My nose scrunched up in evident disgust, and I sneered at her while repulse ebbed through me—but she was much too intertwined with Yuki to catch my swelling presence of repugnance.

"Do you need any help?" He asked with a more casual voice.

"Oh! Yes, please, I think I hurt my ankle…" She did a fricken horrible job at faking it, I'll say that.

She curled her body onto her side as she sat up on one of her hips, her uniform skirt hiked up to a dangerous point on her bare thigh as she ran a hand over her naked leg to her sock-covered ankle, and the look of pain on her face was fricken PATHETIC.

"Let me help you up," Yuki feigned ignorance of her repulsive acting skills, and I turned my revulsion towards him—he was letting her get away with it! But Yuki stood up and offered her his hand, and she tentatively slid her hand onto his and I snapped—

I took a determined step forward, knocking their hands a part befor I grabbed roughly at her arm and hauled her up, a smug grin creeping over my lips at the shocked yelp that peeped from her as I let go mid-air so she stumbled before catching her own damn balance.

"Sohma Kyo." I introduced myself with an evidently territorial voice as she blinked at me.

If she knew about Yuki, then maybe she knew about my aggressive reputation.

If not, then she'd be pretty damn stupid to think I didn't have one.

I felt Yuki's hand on my shoulder and he pushed me back with such force I couldn't resist and he sent me a glare before giving her an apologetic smile, "I take it your attend Kaibara High School, Ji-san."

"Oh yes I do!" She seemed thrilled by Yuki's attention towards her uniform and she dived into the opportunity to talk with him, probably going over the words she rehearsed in her head all the nights she stayed up practicing for it, "I'm a part of the welcoming committee—we're just setting things up for the first years when they arrive! I was just sent out to get more supplies since we've run out of ribbons and bows and all that stuff, there's not a lot of us so we've all been working really hard and I'm paying from my own wallet to get the supplies, I'm a really generous person, and you are too, Sohma-kun, helping me out like that, you really are…" She gave a shaky sigh as her eyes glazed over and her voice became a whisper, "…a really great guy…"

"HAH!"

They both looked at me as I folded my arms over my chest smugly, "You wanna know what this guy's like?" I shoved a thumb in his direction, "You should see him in the _morning's _not even a fricken Tsunami could wake this guy u— GWAH" Suddenly my hair was clutched and ripped back, making me bend backwards, the only thing in sight was the breezy sky—

"Well, I hope you find everything you need, I must be leaving now." I caught the agitated edge of his voice that he tried to hide as I felt him tug me back a few steps and I stumbled along with a noise of protest.

"Oh—oh, yes, well, goodbye Sohma-kun! I'll see you later!"

I felt Yuki pulled me around a corner, then his grip on my hair was gone so I shoved away from him, my hand ruffling into my hair in aggravation as I glared at him—but his eyes were glaring forward, refusing to match with mine.

I fell into step beside him, refusing to look away… then I leaned close to his ear with a mimicking, high voice, "_See you later, Sohma-kun, I'll be pulling down your pants in the janitors closet after I knock you unconscious—"_

Yuki shoved my face away with enough force to make me stumble to the side a few steps and he hissed at me, "_Would you stop that!"_

I looked at him apprehensively, "Just stating the obvious—did you see her? Basically flashing her panties at you, dirty bitch."

"Stop foul-mouthing everyone," Yuki scorned, "I know your general demeanor is _unpleasant, _and you're entire etiquette is _unpleasant_—but I would prefer if you didn't pull me into your immature games to achieve ultimate isolation, you anti-social Cat."

"Oh, look who's talking;" I said in defense, that last remark hitting home, "I'm not the one who's being a CELLAR RAT!"

"Don't call me a _cellar rat_, you repugnant animal!"

Our mouths rampaged back and forth between each other as the verbal abuse picked up speed and volume until we reached the welcoming gates of Kaibara High School.

"UGH!" He stormed away from me and into the school grounds, but the aggravation was still welled up inside of me and I stormed halfway after him before planted my feet into the pavement and yelling after him, "YOU'RE _WELCOME _FOR WALKING YOU!"

Yuki flinched in agitation before shooting a glare over his shoulder, "THANK YOU, IT WAS A _PLEASANT _WAY TO SPEND MY MORNING!"

"NO PROBLEM!" I yelled back as he turned back around and gracefully strutted towards the school, "IT WAS A FANTASTIC _WASTE OF MINE!"_

Yuki slammed the door behind him and I was left fuming in the school entrance.

"_Damn rat." _I hissed before turning on my heel and storming off myself, ignoring the few startled looks from people.

(Yuki's POV)

"Maybe you should try concentrating on something more _simple_."

I kept my calm, but Naohito's domineering attitude was not something I took lightly, "I can handle it, I just wasn't able to complete it over the past two days, I had many distractions."

"Yes, Chibi-Suke, stop ordering around the PRESIDENT!" Kakeru hit him forcefully on the back and a yelp escaped Naohito's throat, his stern expression cracked by shock as he fell into a desk on impact—but he whipped around with a seething glare, "MANABE, CUT THAT OUT!"

I slid my right leg over my other, and rested my elbow on my desk to hold my face in my hand.

This day… was turning out to be a circus run.

"Why don't you _get to work! _You're going to be as lazy as ever this year as well? I won't allow this intolerance!"_  
_"Nao-san," I tested, "I would suggest you critique others when you are setting a better example yourself."

…

"BWAAHHAHAHA!" Kakeru cracked into laughter as Naohito seemed to seethe at me, "YUN-YUN TOLD CHIBI-SUKE OFF!"

"STOP CALLING ME CHIBI-SUKE!"

My agitation was obviously peeking, and my argument with Kyo had definitely not helped.

At that thought, my mind started racing towards the Neko, and I already knew that if I started thinking about him now I wouldn't be able to get my head out of that gutter for a while—I needed to get out of this monkey cage.

"I think I'll check up on the rest of the preparations." I stood up; cutting into Naohito and Kakeru's argument, and Kakeru flashed me that toothy grin of his, "Alright Yun-Yun! Don't get trapped in a closet!" He gave me a wink and I turned from him dejectedly, "Thank you. Very much." I grumbled before leaving the classroom.

The hallways were disconcertingly empty as I wandered through them.

I was used to such a loud school; I was used to the hallways being crowded and loud.

They were… very empty though.

I slowed to a stop and looked down the expansion of hallway in front of me.

I twisted my neck to look behind me.

A disgusted tug pulled at the pit of my stomach, and I slid a hand onto my head as I felt my chest swell with the desire to growl at myself.

I called Kyo anti-social, but here I was escaping a (nearly) normal classroom with merely four people who occupied it—that was pathetic.

This was _stupid_, I was stupid.

Aggravated at myself, I wandered more quickly down the hall, not sure if I wanted to grab myself by the shoulders and shake me ruthlessly—or listen to Kakeru, and lock myself in closet.

Both preferences, although, were stripped with five quick seconds—

"WHOA!"

I saw a flash of red before a girl stumbled backwards just before she collided into me from around the corner, and she fell flat on her back with a loud yelp and I stared at her in utter confusion—

I almost ran into her!

My hand reached up to clutch at my frozen heart which had suddenly burst into frantic beats—

I almost _ran into her!_

"Oh man, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, don't worry yourself up there."

I blinked down at her as she pushed herself onto her elbows and winced as she slid a hand onto her back, her mouth opening, "Uuuua, man that _hurt…_ Why am I falling on my ass everywhere?"

"Are you alright?" my mind finally slid from shock, to recognition, and now to panic as I realized it was the fact that she fell over _backwards _that kept me from poofing into a rat.

"Oh, hey, awesome reflexes," She stumbled back onto her feet and rubbed at her back.

"Do you need ice? I can take you to the nurses office, I'm sorry I didn't catch you!" I apologized, and then the girl gave me a blank look.

In our sudden silence, I stared blankly into her chocolate brown eyes that were covered by ragged red bangs, the rest of her hair shivering down past her shoulders.

"Heey…" She gave me a suspicious look, and I suddenly felt nervous as she tilted her head to appraise me from the corner of her eye.

"Are you that Sohma guy?"

"…yeah, I'm Yuki Sohma," I said, but I saw no difference in her expression.

"So you're the prince."

Alright, she wasn't hurt, and I hadn't done any damage. Why am I still here. I answered her despite my surfacing aggravation at where this conversation might be going with her attitude, "I'm just Yuki Sohma."

"Hm, well, Kei!" She shoved her hand out, and I jerked back in sudden reflex to the gesture—

"I'm Kei," She said again, her hand still outstretched—then recognition flashed in her eyes, "Oh, heh heh, sorry about that," She pulled her hand back, "I was living in the west for a while, they're kinda antsy around there, I guess it rubbed off on me," She let out a laugh, her lips pulling over her teeth in a wide smile as her laugh filled the hallway.

"Sohma-san," She addressed me again, sweeping herself into an over-exaggeration bow, "My name is Kei…" She looked up at me from her bowed position, "You're majesty."

I stared at her—she's making fun of me!

This girl that I've never even seen before—she's making fun of me!

"Kei-san," I tilted my head in a brief bow, "I'm sorry, but I must get going now—"

"Heyhey, buster, hold it!" She held out a demanding hand when I made to move past her—and I stared at her before she replied, "You part of a club or sumthin?"

I appraised her curiously, "No, I'm the President of the Student Council…" I said as casually as I could, but her eyes still popped out of her head when I said it.

"WHOA! You're the _president?" _She gushed, and my eyebrow twitched in desire to rise incredulously at her personality.

"Oh, wait, yeah I think someone told me that…" She crossed an arm over her chest and her other hand went up to cover her mouth as she frowned at the wall beside us as if her memories were playing on them like an invisible film.

…

"Yes, well, I should get back to patrolling."

"JI-KUN!"

I flinched back at the sudden outburst as she snapped her fingers and looked back at me, "Yeahyeah, Ji-kun said you bumped into her on the way here! Pfft, is that you're way of wooing women?" She raised an amused eyebrow as she grinned at me, "Cuz I'm telling you, scaring me half to death and making me fall on my ass was one hell of a sexy move, you charmer!"

Okay. This is getting ridiculous.

"I didn't bump into her," I told her, "And again, I'm really sorry for almost running into you. If I can do something for you I'd love to, but if not I should get going now,"

"You mean that?"

"Nn?"

"Will you do something for me?"

I took her in cautiously, "…yes."

"Where's the bathroom—I think you made me piss me pants,"

(Kyo's POV)

It was fricken _awkward_.

He was doing this just to make it _awkward!_

Ayame leaned over to his right and moved his hand in front of his mouth as to hide it from the rest of us as he whispered, "It's awfully quiet, Gure-san,"

Shigure, sitting at the head of the table, grinned, "Yes it is isn't it!" He said pleasantly.

"We can _hear you_." I growled.

Then the room went quiet again.

I glared at my natto as if it were whispering obscene insults at me.

Ayame leaned back over to Shigure, "It's awfully awkward too, isn't it?"

"YOU'RE THE ONE MAKING IT AWKWARD!" I yelled, unable to keep it in after ten minutes of sitting in this goddamn room with that guy! Even when he wasn't _saying _anything I wanted to pound the table in! "_What the hell is he still doing here?"_

"Am I not welcomed?" He asked as if it were shocking.

Just before I jumped in to enthusiastically confirm his statement, Tohru piped up before I could to contradict my thoughts, "No, no, you are most welcomed! I haven't seen you for so long, it's an honor to share dinner with you—and, and to cook dinner for you! You should come more—"

"haha, Honda-san, let's not get too friendly," Yuki said with a smile—that absolute-zero smile of his, that I'm-gonna-be-insulting-but-smile-like-a-damn-bishounen-and-I'll-get-away-with-it smile, and Honda-san blinked at him, but Yuki plunged into a conversation to avert a more awkward one that might pop up, "How was your day?"

"Oh-oh it was good! I had a really good day!"

"TOHRU and I—" (Yuki and I both groaned as Ayame spoke) "Had a TERRIFIC day together since Kyon-Kichi was off battling against uncivilized beasts of the forest while Yuki was making peace and order in the youth's civilization!"

"I WASN'T DOING _THAT_!"

"Oh yes, thank you very much!" Tohru said with appreciative eyes.

"I hope you didn't wear her out." Yuki said in a blank voice, and I scowled at my natto again from being ignored.

"Of course not, it was an excellent evening and morning—yes, yes, I had my purposes for today!"

"What 'purposes'." I grumbled.

"Well, for one, Kyon-kichi was supposed to walk Tohru to work but he stood her up—tut, tut, young man!"

"Hey, don't call me yo—_gah_" My head jerked forward from the impact of being hit—and I glared at Yuki who was glaring at me, and I grabbed my head in offence, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, YA DAMN RAT!"

"Why did you stand Honda-san up?" He demanded with evident displeasure in his voice—and I felt defensiveness reap through me.

"Cuz I was too busy walking YOUR _sorry ass!" _I barked back.

"You had _plenty _of time to get back here!" Yuki shot, "What did you do, rampage around the whole city?"

"YEAH I was trying to get home as fast as I could, but all these High School girls kept trying to seduce me on the DAMN SIDEWALK!"

"_Stop being so sensitive over that!" _Yuki snapped, "She _fell! _Maybe if _you_ tripped on your head instead of your face you might knock something right in your brain!"

("High School girls or prostitutes?" Ayame asked Shigure who shrugged innocently,)

"And maybe if someone hit you over the head with a mirror you wouldn't be so damn VAIN!"

"_I'm the vain one?" _Yuki snapped, "_You're _the one who left Tohru alone with Nii-san!_"_

"GODDAMMIT!" I roared, my fist smashing onto the table and the dishes rattled violently, "LIKE I CAN WALK EVERY DAMN PERSON IN THE FRICKEN WORLD!"

"_I didn't ask you to come with me!" _Yuki shot in defense. "You just came because you didn't want to be around _him_!"

"SO!" I challenged.

"_SO! _Get your _priorities straightened out you irresponsible cat!"_

"ARE YOU SAYIN' I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE?" I shouted.

("Welp… it isn't quiet anymore." Shigure whispered to Ayame who nodded with a grin)

"I'm saying that you don't take responsibility _seriously!" _Yuki said, "You have it, you just don't _use it!"_

"YEAH? WHAT ELSE DO I HAVE THAT I DON'T USE?"

"_Why don't you stop and think about it!"_

"Maybe cuz it's TOO DAMN FUN GETTING RIDICULED BY _YOU!"_

"You keep taking things the _wrong way!"_

"There's A _RIGHT WAY to be called irresponsible?"_

"Stop acting _mistreated!" _Yuki said, "You left Honda-san _hanging_, she's the one who should be telling you this!"

"I _AM _mistreated, I'M FUCKEN _ABUSED!" _I screamed at him—then his hand shot out and he grabbed the back of my head before—_BAM!_

"_AUGH!" _I clutched my nose as I felt a hot, red sensitive wash over it—

"THERE! _Now _you're abused!"

"YA DAMN RAT!" I lunged over the corner of the table at him, but Yuki shot up in quick reflex, so I twisted my body and torpedoed my leg through the around in a 160, but Yuki dodged it quick enough that once it missed him, his fist sliced through the air and smashed against my cheek—and I fell at the impact, feeling my body collide against the hard ground, but just when I made to shove myself back up to lung at him his hands slammed me back into the ground and I rammed my knee up into the air, but his dug into the middle of my inner thigh and pinned me so I made to shove at him, but my hands were suddenly chained to the floor by his—and this all happened in an embarrassingly fast five seconds.

It took him _no effort at all!_

_No effort at ALL!_

"GET THE HELL OFF-"

"STOP IT!"

Yuki's yell snapped through the room and I stared at him as his eyes pierced into mine with utter annoyance and infuriation—

"WOULD YOU JUST _STOP IT!" _He yelled, "YOU'RE SUCH A _CHILD _YOU'RE SUCH A STUPID, PATHETIC _CHILD!"_

!—

I was too shocked by the fact that Yuki was yelling to give a shit about being offended—

"ALL YOU DO IS _COMPLAIN _ALL YOU DO IS _HATE EVERYONE_ YOU CAN'T LOOK AT ONE SINGLE PERSON AND NOT BE DISGUSTED, _CAN YOU? _YOU SEE SOMEONE AND YOU _ALWAYS _THINK THE WORST OF THEM! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GET OVER YOURSELF!"

"JUST GET _OVER YOURSELF!" _He yelled at me, his nails digging painfully into my wrist, "I HATE IT!"

Yuki slammed his eyes closed, "I _HATE IT!"_

-And he was off of me, his nails releasing my grip as the sound of him storming out of the house mingled with the echo of his yelling in my head, and finally the door slamming shut.

I didn't move—it was kinda weird.

It was weird hearing him yell like that—it vibrated through me like a shockwave.

A grumbled sounded at the back of my throat.

That stupid rat didn't know how goddamn powerful he was.

Jesus, if it had offended him _that _much, he could've just said something.

I lifted my hands off the floor and looked at my wrists—and in my soft skin was fingernail dents that he had left, and some of them were beginning to line in blood. I then became aware of a harsh stinging in my cheek, but I ignored it when sobbing burst through the silence.

I pushed myself into a sitting position as I saw Tohru burying her face in her hands, sobs washing from her throat like ocean waves as she gasped for air in between them, her shoulders shaking as she hunched over—"I—I'm s-so sorry, Kyo-kun! I'm so sor-sorry!"

Panic rushed through me—she's _crying!_

Jesus, if Yuki knew he made her cry he'd be even more pissed at me.

"H-hey you stop it!" I felt uncertainty flow through me, "Stop crying it's not your damn fault!"

"Yes, there, there, Tohru." Shigure patted her back, "No need to cry, that is what you call a Lover's Tiff."

"Nothing to do with you, got it?" I felt a pang of guilt—shit, shit, _shit._

She nodded stiffly, and another sob flowed from her throat.

"Kyo, help her wash up."

"Me? Why me?" I felt a slice of horror strike me at the thought of being alone with a crying girl, "Why don't you get Ayam—hey, where the hell'd that snake go?"

(Yuki's POV)

I was mad, infuriated!

It wasn't like me to show my aggravation so bluntly and ostentatiously, but everything just welled up and when he made a move at me and my instincts took over—maybe that was it, maybe I just handed myself over to my instincts too much.

Maybe it was the agitation that's been boiling inside of me all day from the moment I woke up to the moment Kyo was yelling at me at the dinner table—or just the fact that Tohru had been neglected, and I felt guilty over it.

I slid a hand over my face and decided to take slow breaths, but my mind was yelling at me.

Why did I crack like that!

I didn't even understand the words that were falling out of my mouth, I didn't even think!

Why did I burst out, in front of everyone, it was completely unacceptable, that was entirely out of hand!

Whatever happened to pushing it aside?

That was—that was just so _childish _of me!

The sick feeling of failure crawled back into me, and it latched itself onto my stomach and weighed in down with a sick, heavy sensation.

And that sick, disgusting feeling welled up inside of me again, that strange feeling—that strange feeling I recognized from a few days ago, when I had pushed Kyo out of my room the last time I saw him.

It was then when that hot craving pulsed through me, when I felt that impending desire that had my lungs contracting that I realized what I was doing and fled the room—I was fighting it now, shoving it back down, keeping it from surfacing.

I don't even know what's going on anymore— I feel lost, completely lost—

I felt gross, like it hadn't been Kyo I was yelling at…

… Maybe it _wasn't_ him I was yelling at…

"Ah!"

I looked behind me to see Ayame approaching from the tree—and he must have caught something in my expression, for a sympathetic smile slid onto his face.

I shook my head slightly, as if to shake everything from my mind, and I turned to him, "Pardon, Nii-san, that was rude of me."

"No need! No need!" Ayame waved it off sincerely, "There is nothing rude about raw human emotions—it is, in fact, a beauty to watch when exposed in such a—"

"Nii-san, I'm serious, don't try to justify it." I crossed an arm over my chest before sliding a hand with exhaustion over my brow, "It was uncalled for—and in the dining room as well… I don't even know why I started fighting with him, it just…"

I struggled for the words, unable to find the right thing to say, the right way to explain in my lack of wanting to.

I slid my hand through my hair in exhausted defeat, "I don't even know."

"Ah—I see, I see…"

As I glowered at the ground, my vision was suddenly filled with my older brother when he kneeled in front of me as he did many times, and his voice was sincere, "This is wonderful, Yuki,"

I blinked down at him with a dull expression, "Excuse me?"

"You have found it!"

"—found…it…?"

"You have bedded so much comfort and safety within Kyo that your subconscious feels pulled towards him, confident in his loyalty, and protected in his judgment!"

I rolled my eyes, suddenly frustrated again, "That doesn't even make sense."

"You must _lash out!"_

Ayame pushed himself up and grabbed my shoulders effectively, his golden eyes sparkling widely, "You must _lash out _all your anguish at KYON-KICHI!"

"Augh, stop it!" I twisted myself out of his grip, "that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

"Ridiculous? Maybe—but ludicrous? I think not!"

"How about I lash out at _you_?" I said in a frustrated voice.

"Ah, see! You can already do so without a hesitation!" He said with a smile as if it was a divine accomplishment he saw between us, "That is the true evidence of our infinite bond—"

"Alright, yeah, sure," I held up a hand to keep him from talking and confusing me even further, "Listen, Nii-san…" I took a step back in a final tone, "Could you tell Miss Honda that I'll be back later, I really need to take a walk."

"Tohru, Tohru… hmmm…" Ayame put his fist to his mouth as he looked at the ground in contemplation, "yes, well, she may be a bit busy with Kyon-kichi, but I'm not sure if he's doing very well with her…"

"Eh?" I asked in confusion.

Ayame looked back up at me, "Ah, you know, Kyon-kichi isn't one for tears!" he said in a pleasant voice.

I froze—and then a sick pang of guilt stabbed at me, "Honda-san's crying?"

"When I left, yes, the princess was in many tears," Ayame laid a hand against his chest mournfully, and I walked past him hurriedly.

I hadn't thought about Tohru, she must have taken our fight onto herself!

Now I really _did _feel guilty—

"Quick! Forward Yuki, let us comfort the empty-hearted!" Ayame bustled beside me in a determined strut, and I rolled my eyes.

When we got to the house, I slid the door open quickly and slipped out of my shoes before quickly making my way through the entrance hall.

"I said that HURT!" I heard Kyo bark in the dining room, then Ayame's voice was next to my ear, "I think she's upstairs."

I nodded, and made my way for the staircase. Upon ascending it, I wandered into the hallway and down to the bathroom, where the door was shut and I caught a faint sniffling from inside.

"Honda-san?" I tapped my knuckles at the door—and a startled sniff was my first response.

"O-oh, Yuki, your-r back!" She sounded surprised.

I tentatively placed my hand on the doorknob and twisted it before easing it open, giving her a chance to command me otherwise before I entered.

She was standing by a sink, her sleeves pulled over her hands, the fabric wet with her tears—and she gave me an unconvincing smile, her eyes pink, puffy and wet.

The guilt stabbed deeper this time—and I took the remaining too steps towards her, "Honda-san, I am sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"O-oh no, no, I'm not upset!" She contradicted her state.

I looked around and grabbed a face cloth from the shelf before turning on the tap and running warm water over the fabric, "I'm sorry that we argued in front of you, I should have thought to be more courteous."

I then placed a hand tentatively on her sleeve and she eased her forearm away from her splotched face, and I placed the damp face cloth over the stream of tears that were drying to her right cheek, and Tohru sniffed again, "N-no, I'm sorry, I really cause nothing but trouble…" Her eyes welled up with fresh tears, and the guilt pressed into my heart heavily, and I ran the cloth underneath her eyes.

"Please, it honestly had nothing to do with you; I just had a lot on my chest from today." I told her with as gentle a voice that I could muster, "Kyo and I—haven't really done anything but get on each other's nerves lately… but even so, it was rude of me to let us fight in front of you like that."

"N-no, I'm glad."

I pulled the cloth away briefly to see her give me a small smile, "I'm glad that you can fight, i-if that isn't too rude, I mean, I know it's not good to fight but sometimes fighting is… is better then just ignoring each other and not talking at all." Her smile deepened and her eyes were sincere, "I'm very glad that you and Kyo have that kind of relationship."

She looked away with a faint blush darkening her already flushed cheeks, "I-I mean, it didn't bother me at all, is what I'm trying to say."

I ran the cloth over her other cheek, "Honda-san, is there something else bothering you?"

"Oh no no no!" Tohru panicked—and then she seemed to droop, "is it that noticeable? Am I that obvious?"

I gave her a small smile, "It was only a lucky guess, Honda-san."

She frowned at me, her eyes puckering like a puppies, then she gave a shaky sigh, "I'm… I'm a bit nervous… about everything…"

"Like what?"

"School… and work… and it being the last year of high school now… I feel like there's all this pressure that's just about to drop on me, and I don't know if I'll be able to take it, but I have to or else I wont be the person I told my mom I would be—and then I'll have failed her, and, and…" Her lips puckered as her eyes welled up again, and tears rolled from over the rim of her eyes.

"… is that all?" I asked, and Tohru nodded, closing her eyes and a few more tears rolled down her cheek.

"Honda-san, you shouldn't worry about the things that you can't take care of at the moment." I told her reassuringly, "Fretting over it will only make you feel more nervous, and you really have nothing to worry about." I leaned down and her eyes tentatively sought mine and I gave her a small smile, "Don't worry, when the time comes you just make sure you try your hardest, but don't over-exert yourself. If you ever need help, I'll be here for you."

I offered her the damp cloth.

And with a small smile, Tohru took it from me.

Then the sound of someone storming up the stairs flooded into the moment, and I felt my energy drop in frustrated exhaustion.

I heard him slam his hand against the doorframe, "RAT! You re-opened my damn STITCHES!"

I turned around with disdain to look blankly at his irritated figure, and the white patch on his cheek was swelling with damp red, "You threw yourself at me, Baka Neko."

"EH?" Kyo looked detested, "You're the one who smashed my face in the goddamn TABLE!"

"Do you mind? This is hardly the moment," I didn't need to gesture at the flustered Tohru beside me.

"YOU'RE the reason she's crying!"

"At least I'm here with her instead of moping downstairs!" I said in offence of the accusation.

"So _what _if I'm not good at—fixing—that-!" Kyo said after sputtering for the right words.

I stared at him with an aren't-you-an-idiot eyes, "_'fixing that'?" _I repeated my tone insulting. When Kyo opened his mouth to retort I just let out an exasperated sigh and made to shut the door on his face, but he stopped it by shoving his foot in the way, and he pushed past me.

"hey," I could hear the uncertainty in his voice as he addressed Tohru, and Kyo's hands tightened into fists, "I didn't mean to upset you, okay?"

Tohru nodded, and Kyo's eyes gleamed with remorse... "And I—I didn't mean to ditch you with that stupid snake, you got it?"

Tohru nodded again, "yes, I do." she gave a small smile before her eyes began to swell with tears again-and Kyo immediately frazzled at the sight, "Then why are you still crying!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Don't say sorry! _Just stop crying!"_

Tohru nodded frantically, "yes, yes,"

"Gah—uh—" I watched Kyo search for words, one hand lifting in an unsure gesture… and his eyes were penitent.

He frowned, and took a step closer to her.

"Look, I'll…" Kyo started uncertainly, then his lifted a hand and he placed it on her head, "I'll walk you the whole week, I promise, okay? To pay you back."

"E-eh? N-no, I'm really alri—"

"I said to pay you back!"

Tohru blinked up at him, and Kyo let his hand fall from her head.

"I mean—if I made you cry, at least let me make up for it." He said in a disgruntled voice.

Tohru bit her lip to hold her tongue… then she smiled and a blush creeped into her cheeks, "…thank you."

I didn't know what happened next—because I wasn't in the room anymore.

I didn't really even realize I was moving until I found myself shutting my bedroom door behind me.

It was back; just as bad if not worse then the first two times I felt it—

That sickening _feeling._

I placed my head on my chest in attempt to push it away.

When I felt like it wasn't about to engulf me or anything, I wandered over to my bed.

Maybe it was an anxiety attack of some sort…

I lifted my sheets and crawled in underneath them.

Or maybe something's wrong with me and I should see Hatori… maybe I'm sick.

I turned and took my alarm clock, flicking the alarm on for tomorrow's School Council meeting.

I feel sick… but it doesn't really feel like a _sickness._

I decided to push it out of my mind, and just put an end to this tiring day.

I have been slinking around all day, tired and exhausted, and all I want to do now was get some sleep.


	61. Chapter 61

**AN- **_-sobs- _I switch POV's so much in this chapter _–whimper- _and crap, I was at 3 pages when I realized it was 3 weeks since I updated… I really have no sense of time _–grumble- _so pardon the horrible updating techniques _–sweats-  
_During writing this, an 'incident' (_-being mysterious-_) took place over here, so if some parts seem a bit –eh- ish then blame it on my state when I was writing—I tried not to do anything of the sort, so hopefully nothing's too horrid…  
What else… oh yes, if this seems fast-paced then I'm sorry… but if it contributes to the whole 'hassle-of-getting-into-school-life-once-more' kinda thing, then hey it had a purpose.

I tried to keep everything evenly spaced, make it balanced, make it flooww… meh.

**Chapter Sixty-One**

(Yuki's POV)

"Do you know how great this is? Senior year rocks!" I rolled my eyes as Kakeru slung his arm over my shoulder, "We are the kings of High School, Yun-Yun!-well, I'm the king, you're the Queen-"

"Don't you _ever _get tired of that?" I said with exasperation as I shrugged out of his arm, Kakeru laughed and slung his hands into his pockets.

It was a week since school started, and although the morning hours practically put my system into shock I somewhat-enjoyed being back into a regular routine, having things to do, being busy, the homework, and student council; if only because it gave me something to distract myself with… it felt like I was morphing back into reality.

The school was more crowded then I had expected, and I had made a note of keeping myself from slipping into my day-dreaming state down the halls after a number of close collisions with girls—and boys as well, for that matter…

Suddenly my vision was completely obscured by a digital photo of a pretty girl with brunette hair cropped around her jaw line, flashing a care-free smile with flushed cheeks—

"Isn't she _beautiful!"_

Kakeru took his cell phone away from my face and cradled it to his face with stars for eyes, "We went on a trip together over the summer—we attacked the wilderness! Ever roasted marsh-mellows in the woods with your one and only true love, Yun-Yun?"

I blinked at Kakeru over the sudden subject before regaining myself, "Um, no, can't say I have…"

He gaped at me like I had just sprouted another head, "Are you _kidding me!" _He snapped his phone shut and slammed it on my head—

"_Ow!" _I cupped my head before glaring at him, "_What was that for!"_

"I was overloaded with shock I had to let it out somehow!"

"Well don't _hit me!"_

"Oh—did I mess up your hair?"

I narrowed my eyes, "You might've knocked out a few brain cells, but that happens every time you open your mouth anyways."

Kakeru let out a barking laugh—and I could swear I saw a flash of Ayame where he was standing. I could say anything to them and it would fall into an empty abyss that somehow led to a trigger of amusement.

"You're _grumpy!" _He walked forward with me, "Man, how long's it been since you've gotten laid?"

"Don't even bring up that subject," I said in a threatening voice.

"Y'know—you could have _any girl _in this school!" He extended his arm and gestured it in a wide half-circle in front of us, "I say use and abuse your prettiness—get some action maybe someone can get that stick out of your ass,"

I looked at him with incredulous disdain, and he back paddled, "Sorry, sorry—keep forgetting you might like it that wa—OW!"

"_What was that again?" _I said, tightening my grip on his ear as he stretched onto his tip-toes

"owowokay-You'—_AK!"_

I dropped him with a sigh, having already given up on that hopeless case, and I sauntered forward, leaving him to catch up to me with a relieved breath blowing past his lips.

"Yup, you need a lay."

"Shut up."

"Yuki-kuun!" I suddenly felt something jump onto my back and I felt shock jolt through me—but when my body didn't transform I look around to see my vision obscured by a bush of wavy blond hair—

"Momiji!" I pulled away from his embrace as he burst out in giggles, "You scared me!"

He grabbed my hand and leaned back, holding himself steady by my limb, "Yuki-kun, I haven't seen in you in _years!"_

I ignored the exaggeration, "You still can't just go around tackling people with hugs along the hallways,"

His face suddenly fell into illogical hurt, "But… but I haven't seen you in so long…"

"Aw, kid, you're so cute!" Kakeru ruffled his hair playfully and Momiji gave a giggle, "You can tackle hug me any time!"

I turned away from them but Momiji stopped me, "Yuki-kun wait!" he tugged at my shirt for attention, "Do you know where Tohru-kun is? I'm gonna walk her home from work today and I need to know what time!"

"Oh, well she might be upstairs in the cafeteria," I offered, "…how's it going… with you and Tohru?" I said uncertainly.

Momiji blinked—then gave a huge smile, "Great! It's going great!" Then he stuck his tongue out playfully, "I'm not giving up!" and with a wink, Momiji turned around and ran down the corridor and gave a loud giggle when someone called out to him.

"Energetic kids are _awesome!" _Kakeru enthused and we started walking, "You know him, Yun-Yun?"

"He's a relative." I sighed.

"Whoa!" Kakeru gasped, "You're family must be like _animals!"_

I raised an eyebrow at that, only half the reason known by Kakeru who stretched his arms behind his head and locked his hands, "When I get married, I'm gonna re-populate the world."

"Don't talk about that to me." I looked away, the appetite I didn't know I had now completely destroyed.

I didn't get how someone's mind could be so hard-wired to perversion as much as his was—of course, I should be used to this from Shigure and Ayame; but Kakeru's supposed to be a normal human being. He could almost take down my entire hope for civilization all by himself.

"Oh hey! There's orange-top!"

I looked over to see Kakeru peeking out a tall window a few paces behind me, and I mentally kicked myself over how I had drifted off again and didn't even notice he had stopped.

"Are you coming?" I said in a clearly exasperated voice at the sudden upbringing of Kyo.  
Over the past week with Kyo and I, our presence with each other would either be held with a electrified silence, or we'd be bickering our heads off at each other and taking any opportunity we could find to get on the other's nerves.

Fortunately for my exhausted state, we weren't around each other enough to make it constant—but it happened enough to make it expected. I don't know why, it's not like I like arguing with him over stupid things or having us snap ridiculously immature insults back and forth…

"—whoa she is _hot_!" Kakeru exclaimed, "She's really flirting with him!"

I looked back at him, "Who?" I walked over beside him involuntarily and took my own glance out the window, down from the second floor to the open grounds below. Kyo wasn't hard to find with his orange hair but I couldn't see what Kakeru was going on about—the blonde that was with him seemed so dull in contrast. There was another boy with them but the girl seemed to be completely ignoring him, her eyes on Kyo like a wolf on its prey and her face feigning an innocent expression. She held a hand on a curved hip, holding her body in a way that would flaunt her hour-glass shape and long legs, while her other hand lifted to slowly brush her hair away from her neck. She then let out a laugh, her lips parting in a forced smile as her hand reached out and touched his arm—

Something inside of me suddenly _lit on ice-cold fire._

With Kyo's back to me I couldn't see his face, and she kept her hand resting on his elbow until he shook it off, shifting a little to lean away from her—but she didn't look downhearted by the gesture at all.

I felt a stiffness in my hand and looked down to see that it had uncharacteristically curled into a fist at the burning tightness in my chest.

I gave one glance back out the window before looking at it with indifference and turning away.

"Hey Yun-yun! Wait up!"

Burning—it was burning, and I don't think I've ever felt it before.

Kakeru caught up with my pacing, "Hey—oh, I think I know what's going on here…"

"Nothing's going on." The indifference in my voice was unconvincing.

I've felt jealously before, and envy—but this felt _territorial._

I restrained a groan and settled on placing my hand on my stomach, attempting to push the feeling out—Great, now I was turning into _him.__  
_"You two're havin' troubles, aren't you?"

I eyed Kakeru who gave me an encouraging look, but even though I didn't say one thing and just looked away, it was a confirmation.

"Well _that's _not surprising."

"What's that mean?" I sounded offended.  
Kakeru gave a small laugh, "C'mon, Yun-yun, to start off you two fought a lot to _begin _with… and barely any couple lasts through the summer." He gave an indifferent shrug.

I eyed him carefully before looking away. I didn't care about the summer, there was nothing wrong with the summer—now that I think of it actually, it was probably the only summer I really enjoyed.

"AAnyways," Kakeru lifted his arms in a stretch and laced his hands behind his head, "Everyone goes through some kind of problem—you just gotta decide if the person's worth the trouble or not."

I looked over to him, and he gave me a huge smile, "Better be careful though—those girls just seem to be _swarming _him all week! It's gonna get a lot worse!"

I feigned indifference, "I don't care about that."

"Yes you do!" Kakeru sounded delighted, "It's eating you up, isn't it?"

"No it's not."

"Yun-Yun! Tell me! We're kindred spirits; we must share _everything _with each other!" He demanded, "I will listen to all your kinky perverted stories and traumatic childhood experiences—AND I WILL HOLD YOU WHILST YOU CRY—_" _

"_Hold yourself!" _I pushed him away when he grabbed a hold of me.

"No-grah-Yun-Yun we must be _one_!" Kakeru struggled against me in determination to embrace me, "STOP FIGHTING AGAINST DESTINY, DAMMIT!"

"STOP ACTING SO _SERIOUS!"_ I shoved at his face when I felt my back hit the wall—

"Oh my."

I looked over and my eyes met an unreceptive expression, "Hana-sa—_would you stop that already!"_ I ripped Kakeru off of me and he stumbled back with a sound of defeat.

I huffed while tugging my shirt straight before turning back to Hanajima who didn't look too amused by the situation, "Hello, Hana-san, how are you?"

"ecstatic."

I felt Kakeru rest his elbow on my shoulder and lean against me, "Yun-Yun, you're so mean!" He said with a laugh, turning to Hanajima, "He get's flustered so much, doesn't he?"

"..." Hanajima paralyzed my body with uneasiness as she gave me a long and examining stare, "…not so much anymore…"

I blinked at her.

"Your waves have… gotten much more confused." She mused carefully, "…as if you are struggling with the desire, and reluctance to accept something…"

"_Is this true, Yun-Yun?" _Kakeru grabbed me by the shoulders and gave me a look of horror, "_Tell me it's not true!"_

"If you like having arms, I suggest you let go."

"Forgive him!" Kakeru turned on Hanajima, "he's anguished by the hordes of girls in heat after Kyon-Kyon!"

"Oh—I just saw him." Hanajima looked off into the distance, "hm, his waves too seemed unclear… and the oddly ambitious waves of a girl quite close to him… yes, such interesting motives she has… and he was unusually receptive towards them, if I recall correctly."

"…what does that mean?" I stared at Hanajima.

"Hey wait—you mean you really see waves?" Kakeru said with enthrallment.

Hanajima replied, but I was again drifting from the sound of their voices.

…What if Kyo didn't mind it… when the girl touched him like that? The thought alone should be absurd—his first year here he barely even let anyone talk to him without roaring his head off at them… but a lot has changed since then, hasn't it? What if, instead of fleeing from any girl that approaches him—he starts liking it? What if he likes having them touch him? –what if he'd liked a lot more than just a hand on the arm?

The sudden image of a girl curling herself around his lean figure, her fingers combing themselves through his hair, came into my mind—but the worst part of that image was how Kyo had a smirk on his lips, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes, and his arms wrapping around her waist and a purr rumbling from his chest—

That frozen burning was back in my chest, stoked by fear and defiance, and I turned away from my two forgotten companions to make my way back down the hall before I heard Kakeru call after me as I descended the stairs to the first floor.

"Where're we going?" Kakeru ran to catch back up with me and when I headed wordlessly towards the outside door I could feel him light up, "oooh are we gonna be all protective?"

"Not a word!" I ordered before pushing open the door and walking into the grounds.

Kakeru sneakily paced himself beside me, and I could feel his enthusiasm.

"I'm not going to do anything, stop being so excited." I told him, walking onto the lush grass and up to the three figures ahead, one noticing us before the other two.

"Hey Yuki-san!" I recognized the boy as Kano from one of my classes last year as he greeted us once we closed in, and Kakeru took Kyo's other side as he hit the boy on the head, "What about _me?"_

I felt Kyo's attention.

"I saw you in Math! Stop stalking me!" Kano whined before turning back to me, "How's it going, president?"  
"Good, thank you," I replied, and Kakeru jumped in, "Hey, hey guess what!"

"You're so noisy," The blond rolled her large hazel eyes, brushing her long hair once again over her shoulder and shifting her weight onto one leg and one hand onto her hip to again flaunt her feminine curves—

"We're taking a school trip next week! In celebration of senior year!" Kakeru said with excitement, and the boy gaped at him, "Are you serious? In the second week?"

"Oh yeah," Kakeru gloated, sliding his hands into his pockets and giving that toothy grin of his, "Student Defense Force works it's _ass_ off to make this school exciting!"

"hell's exciting about a school trip?" Kyo interrupted, and Kakeru laughed, "Don't you have any imagination, Kyon-Nekozuki?"

"Don't call him that." I muttered under my breath as Kyo barked over me, "WHAT THE HELL DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

"But it's so _cute_," A feminine voice crooned—

"So how long'll we be there?" Kano said, enthusiastic over the trip.

"We'll stay over for couple of nights, so around three days," I said—and Kakeru jumped in to lay down more details that I wasn't listening to.

I was watching the girl's eyes as they slid innocently to the ground before I watched her slowly scan up Kyo's body—

"—but just wait till grad, it's gonna be the festival of the centenary, no joke!" Kakeru finished.

…I lifted my hand, "Right—well, we'd better get going," I brushed my fingers over Kyo's forearm, and I felt electricity flare through my skin as my hand rested lightly on the crease of his elbow—right where she had touched him, "We still need to patrol,"

I felt his muscle twitch underneath my light touch, and the air thickened with sudden voltage.

"Alright—cool seeing you, Yuki-kun!" Kano smiled, and I grinned back at him—before turning my eyes intentionally to the girl who was giving me a defensive look when she noticed how my hand was still lingering on Kyo's arm longer then a friend would have.

Kakeru walked passed Kano, and I let my hand leave Kyo's arm as I made after Kakeru before he turned back around to call at Kano, "Don't tell anyone I told you! You're not supposed to know 'till Thursday!"

I didn't glance at Kyo—knowing that it probably would've turned to more than just a glance.

I walked off the grass with Kakeru beside me and back into the school—my fingers softly pressing into my palm, which was still tingling.

It was the first time in a while that I had touched him so delicately… I didn't expect it to make my heart tighten with excitement like that from the feel of his attention.

"—well you really _didn't _do anything, way to be exciting, Yun-Yun." Kakeru sounded inhumanely disappointed and upset.

I let out a breath, "…so where to now?"

(Mariko's POV)

The moment _Yuki-san _came along it was like that fowl odor had came across Kyo, at least that's how it looked from his reaction; an expression of indifference crossed his face, but annoyance was blazing in his eyes, and I was immediately intrigued with the under story.

Yuki-san was gorgeous—_beautiful_, but much too girly for my taste… his skin was too porcelain, his eyes too smooth, his voice too silky. Just too _elegant_, wound-up, his infinite title of 'prince' really suited his posh composure—

But Kyo had that hot masculine indifference about his defiant air, his tan reminding me of the beach, and when his eyes looked at me (even though it had been just for a second) I felt my stomach do summersaults.

He was _hot._

I'm feeling lucky, I didn't usually see Kyo hanging around girls and I felt like the world was revolving around me for a few minutes, being the only girl in a group of four boys.

Then Kyo's attention just suddenly _snaps _to Yuki for no apparent reason when he say's that he should get back to patrolling with Kakeru-kun or whatever, and Kyo's eyes stay glued to Yuki until he's completely out of sight.

He still wasn't looking away from the place Yuki disappeared from so I decided to distract him from whatever the heck was going through his head, "So, Kyo-kun, do you like the beach?" I offered, trying to start up on the hinting.

But his eyes looked over to me with as much absence as his voice held, "Huh? …s'fine,"

"I _love_ the beach, it's my favorite place to go around this time of the year," I gave him a flirtatious smile, hoping my hint dropped on his head but his skull seemed to be thicker then I thought because he merely grunted in response still looking off into no where with a strange, almost aggravated look in his eyes.

"Yeah? What a coincidence, Mii-kun," Kano interrupted in his idiot nature, "How 'bout we—"

I turned to him with a sweet voice that held a base of utter venom, "Haha, shut up, Kano,"

He blinked at me confusedly as I turned to spacey-Kyo, "So, Kyo-kun, feel like taking a swim sometime?"

He seemed to suddenly absorb back into reality and he gave me an absent look that rimmed with sudden frustration, "Uh, no thanks," he turned from me dejectedly and made to walk away—

_What the hell was wrong with this guy?_

Annoyed at being ignored, I snapped my hand out and grabbed his arm, "—hey wai—"

His elbow snapped from my grip like I was some time of leper and his eyes—_I cringed!_

"_Stop touching me."_

It was when he had strutted out of sight that I finally found it in me to breathe again.

Then I heard someone laughing.

I glared over to Kano, "What the fuck are you laughing at?"

"You tried making a pass at _Kyo?_" He burst out laughing again.

"_I said what the fuck is so fucking funny!" _I barked shoving him back.

"Whoa, don't get all sensitive about it," Kano put his hands up in defense, "Kyo never likes girls touching him!"

I puffed up in agitation, "Hell you sayin, he's gay?" I snorted sarcastically.

Kano smirked at me, "Well—I heard this massive rumor over the last day of school that Kyo and Yuki had the hots for each other, but I think that was a big joke," He let out a laugh in remembrance.

…I thought back to the way Yuki had touched Kyo, the expression on Kyon's face, and that look Yuki gave me— and I groaned, everything clicking, "Fucking—jesus, he's _gay?"_

Kano laughed again, "You really think Kyo's gay?"

I glared at him, "Didn't you see that way he looked at Yuki when he left, you moron?"

Kano blinked, "…neh?"

I crossed my arms over my chest… well, if that were true it looked like they were on a break or something.

…big woop, his loss—there were a lot of hot boys in this school to snag…

Even though none of them have awesome orange hair.

(Kyo's POV)

_WAM_

I jumped in my seat and saw a pair of large stone-like eyes glare at me from behind large thick frames.

"Well, Mr. Sohma, how pleasant for you to join us." She said in a sarcastic drone, her nose upturned, and I glanced around nervously at the sudden scrutinizing stare, "Would you like to share with everyone what wonderfully interesting day-dream you were mulling over in _my _class?"

"I wasn't _day-dreaming!" _I cringed inwardly at the accusation—day-dreaming was something girls did over their crushes, I wasn't _day-dreaming_—I was just thinking without paying attention.

"I should hope not, it'll take more than your imagination to pass the test coming next week." She raised an eyebrow before turning away from me and stalking back up the aisle of desks while I wrinkled my nose after her and slouched in my seat with my now disgruntled mood evident on my scowling face.

Yeah, leave it to the fricken power-raged psycho teachers to throw tests at you every day. I glanced around the classroom swiftly, trying to find a clue to what the test was about—just cuz I didn't want to write it didn't mean I didn't want to pass.

The teacher turned swiftly on her heel when reaching the front of the class, nearly making her pencil skirt twist on her waist, and she appraised the class with skeptical eyes, "Now. I will be assigning you all a list of literary classics soon, and it will be your duty and re-spons-i-bili-ty" (she tapped her desk with long fake nails at each syllable) "To read each and every one _thoroughly _throughout this term." She turned her back on us and stalked over to her desk, her high heels clacking against the floor, "This list will be designed in specific order so you will know which ones to read first." She snapped open a drawer before scanning the room suspiciously and pulling out a pile of paper, "You will be having surprise tests whenever I see it necessary, so keep up on the reading if you want to understand half the questions on each of the quizzes which will, in the end of the term, add up to a significant amount on your final mark."

We all groaned in unison, and she all gave us a peeved look before heading over to the front desk to the very right of the classroom and flipped through a number of pages before giving them to the brunette girl to pass down, "It's your own task to do this on your own, you are all in your senior year, I expect you all to take responsibility for your own learning."

I shoved my hands through my hair, and when the boy in front of me turned around to hand me the papers he had to knock on my desk a few times before I looked up. I grabbed one of the sheets before lifting my hand over my shoulder and feeling the person behind me grab the rest. My eyes scanned down the list, the farther I got the more wrinkled my nose became.

One of my least favorite things to do was analyze literature and novels—_especially _the classics.

And one of the most dreaded ones were on the list: _Romeo and Juliet._

I let out an audible groan before bonking my head onto my desk in defeat.

Every other subject in school I could handle, but English Language Arts was probably my worst. I actually liked math, science was fine, and there was nothing wrong with Social Studies (the historical wars were awesome to read about—but the politics suck) but ELA— I'm just not the insightful kinda guy, not like Yuki…

And without even noticing it, I slipped back into 'thinking without paying attention'. Earlier on today I was out in the courtyard when Kano caught me and started following me around—then some girl (I forgot her name the moment she said it in that obnoxiously high voice) came over when she saw Kano. It felt like the moment her eyes were on me, they never left and I felt that awkward pang of annoyance boil up inside of me.

Then her hand was on my arm. Since my sleeves were rolled half-way up my bicep, the contact was skin on skin… and I surprised myself when I didn't pull away at first. Maybe I hadn't because—well maybe it was because Yuki used to touch me more then I realized, but his hands had held that more-then-friendly feel that hers did, and I had missed it so much that it actually felt _reassuring… _but when that fleeting moment was over I pulled away from her, my insides instantly curling in annoyance; and Yuki showed up minutes after with that crazy kid.

I don't know why the hell Yuki hangs out with that annoying punk; he was so high-strung, acting like he was on a sugar high every time I saw him. When Yuki first stood beside me I thought (in some ironic vanity) that he was trying to steal everyone's attention… and when I noticed how he kept looking over to that girl, I felt irritated anger flare inside of me.

But just as soon as he said hello, he made some excuse to leave… and he touched my arm.

What bothered me was how it was in the exact same place as the girl did—but the _effect _was so involuntarily different. A twisting, soothing chill that ran right to that annoyed fire and stoked a very different flame. His touch was light, but it didn't hold that tentative request that female's did—it was _dominant, _almost _territorial—_

Then that _look _he sent her… jesus, why the hell does he have to be the most confusing, complicated guy in the whole fricken school?

I was knocked out of my thoughts by the monotone drone of the bell, and when I straightened up everyone was already stuffing their books into their bags and flitting enthusiastically out of the room. I shoved back my seat and stuffed the list into my backpack before moving my way through desks and out of the room.

The moment I got out I felt someone nudge me with their elbow, "Hey, Cat Lover, what were you in the stars about this time?"

"I wasn't day-dreaming!" I barked at the blond.

"Hey, Kin," A boy jumped beside me, "You think he's got the hot's for Sensei?"

I twitched spastically, too in-shock to reply before Kin who barked out a laugh, "Aw man, did you see the look she gave him? Definitely hinting toward kinky after-school activitiiiiieeessss!"

They both burst out laughing and I lifted my fist and slammed it onto the brunette's head, "SHUDDUP! LIKE HELL THAT'D HAPPEN!"

Kin pushed me playfully, "C-c'mon, Nekozuki, don't get discouraged!"

"Don't give up, you'll get there!"

"You don't give yourself enough credit!"

"Yeah, you've gotta killer body!" They both burst out laughing and I grabbed Kin's shirt, "I'll kill _your _body if you don't SHUDDUP!" I stormed off, feeling a black cloud form over my head from all my grumpy frustration.

(Yuki's POV)

"It's a lovely subject, English was my favorite when I was in your year!"

"The 'romance' section seems awfully repetitive." Haru mused.

"N-no it's not, here if you want I can tutor you!" Tohru smiled with enthusiasm, and I saw Haru's lips curl in a grin.

"Yeah? How about tonight? Wanna come over?"

I shifted my bag awkwardly on my shoulder and looked the other way, trying to make the situation as invisible to me as I was seemed to be to it.

"Momiji's picking me up tonight, remember?" Tohru said tentatively with a small laugh.

"Oh yes, wouldn't want him… _interrupting _us—"

"_Do you mind?" _I said in an involuntarily hard voice, causing Haru and Tohru to look over at me as if they didn't realize I was there in the first place.

"Yuki, the study of romance is a very delicate subject centered around very deep concentration… Tohru _wants _to teach me—"

"Haru, I've put up with enough perverted jokes today." I said, regaining my calm.

"P-perverted jokes?" Tohru said uncertainly.

"Yes, I don't know what he's talking about either."

I sighed, pushing aside my frustration and deciding to just ignore them for the rest of the walk home.

All that giggling, smiling, and hand-holding the two of them were both doing together was starting to poke obnoxiously at me. There was nothing wrong with that, I mean I was happy that they were still having a good time together but… there was a very bitter side of me that just wanted them to take it somewhere else.

Thankfully, however, the house appeared a few moments after Tohru gave a giggle and Haru let out a chuckle.

I went in first, taking off my shoes with as much patience as I could and walking through the halls and into the empty kitchen, then the dining room where Shigure was waiting pleasantly with the newspaper spread over the table and a cup of tea in his hands.

"Why hello Yuki!" He said cheerfully, and by the look of his messier-than-usual hair, he had just woken up.

"…" I glanced behind me into the kitchen again to see Tohru scuttle over towards the refrigerator and Haru lean against the counter and giving her a smile when she looked up.

I looked absently back at Shigure, "…where's Kyo?"

"Out. Running. Dojo. Kicking a tree." Shigure said with a casual shrug, "Whatever he wants—he looked a bit aggravated."

I let out an impatient sigh, and caught Shigure giving me a curious look.

"…I'm going upstairs." I muttered.

As I was walking out of the kitchen Tohru decided to speak up before I left, "Oh, Yuki-kun, is there anything you would like for dinner?"

I looked over my shoulder and gave her as convincing smile as I could, "Anything is fine, Honda-san."

She returned my smile, and I left the kitchen, wandering up the stairs to the hallway. I got to my room, closing my door behind me swiftly and throwing my backpack beside my desk moodily.

I tugged my tie off and made work of taking off my shirt.

The little things. The littlest things were beginning to annoy me.

One of the things that bothered me was when someone said my name, or the way they'd approach me, or when they'd smile at me—but those were just the small things.

I slipped out of my pants before grabbing a pair from the floor and pulling them on before grabbing a shirt and slipping it on before sitting down at my desk.

Maybe I was just grumpy lately, if I got more sleep then perhaps I wouldn't get so irrationally agitated.

Maybe it was just the start-up of school, getting back into that routine. It wasn't that I didn't like school—I'm glad to go because it's a freedom that I had earned—but right now all it's turning out to be is hectic for me.

I had still had a few things for Student Council to finish for the upcoming trip next week, and the weekend was coming up so I had a few things I had to finish by Friday—and it would all be alright if I didn't feel like I had lost half the ability to concentrate as I once had.

I worked on it, falling in and out of concentration, sometimes getting agitated by the way my pencil fit in between my fingers, and other times feeling uncomfortable in my chair…

I had at least gotten most of my math finished before I put down my pencil and ran a hand quickly through my hair, pushing my long bangs away from my eyes and letting out a sigh.

"Yuki-kun!" I heard Tohru call up the stairs, "Dinner's ready!"

I glanced to my clock—the time had just passed.

I frowned at my work… I had done almost nothing.

Deciding that I have had enough of my room, I slid my work back into my bag and picked it up while walking out of my door and closed it behind me. I walked down the hall, descended the stairs, walked through the kitchen and into the dining room where I dropped my bag by the wall.

"Smells wonderful, Tohru-chan!" Shigure said pleasantly, snapping his chopsticks and looking completely content as he dug into his food.

"Thank you! Haru helped me!" Tohru said, looking over and giving him a smile which he returned.

The dinner conversation was held mostly by Tohru and Shigure, Haru slipping in a few comments while I talked only when addressed.

"So I hear you kids are gonna go for a trip—sounds like fun!" Shigure encouraged a subject when there was an unnoticeable moment of silence, and Haru spoke, "Only the seniors… Yuki decided not to invite us."

"I don't make all the decisions, Haru." I said in an exasperated voice.

"M-maybe we can set up a trip—for everyone! Like what we did last time with the Onsen!" Tohru chided.

"Ah, well you might want to wait a bit, get back into the swing of school." Shigure opinionated.

"Yes, I agree… perhaps something a little less adventurous." Haru suggested, "And a little less crowded…"

"Ahhh." Shigure leaned back, patting his stomach contently, "Another lovely meal, you have boundless talent, Tohru!"

She smiled a blush, "Oh well, I don't know about that!"

"I'll help you with the dishes," Haru picked up her plate, much to her protest, and carried it into the kitchen.

I got up as well to help clear the table.

Tohru helped Haru and I clean the dishes, and when we got to the last few plates she worked on the unfinished food, wrapping it up to save for leftovers. They both held a conversation with each other while I tried out my focus on cleaning the dishes and pushing out their voices.

But as I dried off the last plate, one much quieter noise broke through my mind.

The entrance door closed and there was a pause before footsteps sounded down the entrance and I watched as Kyo walked into the kitchen.

His breath was more accelerated than normal, the fringe of his wind-blown hair a darkened orange at the damp of sweat from his brow.

Well, _he _went on a ridiculously long run.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Kyo demanded, and Haru—already use to Kyo's rudeness—flipped him an absent salute before putting the plate I had finished drying away… and Kyo's eyes fell on me.

I could almost feel the heat from his body through his stare—then his hot crimson eyes narrowed in a suspicious glare.

Although I wasn't really expecting that, I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him an indifferent look in response.

"He just came over for dinner so he could walk me to work after!" Tohru said with a pleasant smile on her face, but he kept his suspicious eyes on me before he wiped his bare forearm over his brow and walked forward, "Whatever—what'd you have?"

"Oh! Do you want me to take it back out? I just put away most of it, but I'm sure it's still warm—" Tohru said with apologetic eyes that were wasted on an indifferent Kyo who had his eyes set on what she was packing away.

"S'fine, I'll just have this," he snapped open the container Tohru had just finished closing and pulled out an onigiri, stuffing a whole one right into his mouth and grabbing another.

"See you around." Haru said blankly before Kyo walked away grunting a reply and I watched until the bottom of his sweat pants disappeared up the stairs.

"Should we get going now?" Haru asked.

"Oh yes we should, it's getting late!" Tohru bustled to get the rest of the leftovers into the refrigerator, then she turned to me briefly, "I'll see you later Yuki-kun!"

"Yes, you too." I said absently as she went back to Haru, took his hand and led him out of the kitchen while I went back into the dining room. I grabbed my bag and took out my homework.

The air was less suffocating in here, and it was brighter—also, the fact that Shigure had probably slunk off into his office to work on another Book o' Smut had made this much more pleasant for me.

I got bored after a while, though, and I decided to keep working just to feel the dull ache in my palm from holding my pencil become more noticeable with the more work I finished.

I had completed my math, the little amount of science I had, and started on Social Studies before I dropped my pencil and flexed my hand before I slipped it in my hair to tuck my long bangs back behind my ear.

I hadn't even heard him descend the stairs.

So when Kyo suddenly plopped himself down beside me a small jolt of surprise slipped through my insides—and he propped up his elbows on the table behind him, his back to it, and I could smell the fresh scent of his shower emitting from his clean self, the towel he used to rouse his damp hair around his shoulders. He actually looked so fresh that I was a bit surprised that his breath didn't come out in a misty puff. He smelled like a really warm winter.

Despite the small pain it caused, I gripped my pencil unnecessarily tight to keep myself from reaching over in curiosity of how soft he would feel.

His eyes, also, kept me from moving a muscle.

He was appraising me with unhidden curiosity and frustration… and when we stayed like that for a painful five seconds I spoke up, "…do you need any help."

It was meant to get him talking, but he actually took it, "Yeah, actually…" He shifted his shoulders and looked away from me, "You take any notes for ELA yet?"

"You haven't taken any?" I asked in blank expectation.

He looked back at me, agitated, "th'Hell would I ask for if I did?"

"Small talk?" I offered sarcastically.

Kyo flinched, "I hate small talk! Why would I wanna have small talk? There's no fricken point in small talk, and why the hell would I have small talk over _English Notes_, what's more stupid then that?"

"Small talk over small talk?" I suggested.

Kyo made to retort—but his mouth just hung open when nothing came out… then he glared at me before turning away… and I saw from behind the patch of cloth (which was still there to protect his stitches) that his cheeks had tinted a shade darker—

He mumbled something stubbornly, still not looking at me.

"Hm?"

Kyo turned back to me, composed with frustrated exasperated, "Can I borrow your notes _please_?"

"Yeah, they're in my bag." I said turning back to my work, expecting him to move around me, take the notes, and leave.

Kyo, of course, didn't.

And my head was suddenly filled with his musky scent when he abruptly invaded my personal space, moving his warm body to lean closely across mine, the fabric of our shirts brushing… and his hand placed itself lightly on my elbow to steady himself as he reached for my bag—and my mind went blank, overloaded by the sudden warmth that was washing through me…

…when was the last time… I've been this close to him…

It felt like eternity had passed through before he started to pull away, but it was in reality just as abruptly as he had invaded my personal space that he was gone from it, bag in hand.

…the heat was still washing through me…

"Yo—forget the notes; you gotta flashlight I can borrow?" Kyo said, frowning into the mess of my bag.

Pulling myself together, and now frustrated at how flustered I got from something so infantile, I moodily reached over, shoved my hand into my bag and once my hands felt my binder I grabbed it and pulled it out. I dropped it on the table, opened it and pulled out a black folder which I held out for him, "Don't ruin them, or I will have you re-write it all word for word by memory." I said in a firm voice—not caring about the notes, but more over how he affected me with such a simple gesture.

Kyo appraised me with a glint of frustration in his tight red eyes… for another painfully long five seconds. Then I watched his eyes wander down my face in a brief flicker before looking at the folder, then he lifted his hand and took it from me.

He then shifted till he was resting his head on the table edge, looking completely at his own aggravated ease while ruining mine. I turned back to my work as I heard him sift through the notes, and I tried to find my place on the sheet in front of me but suddenly all that seemed to be on it was a bunch of scrambled gibberish.

"…this's a lot…" I heard him say uncertainly, "How'd you get this much out of the first week?"

"Teachers always do a brief review first few weeks." I told him, and as he flipped a page he wrinkled his nose, "I don't even know half this stuff!" He said in an aggravated voice.

"Then pay attention." I turned back to my work—then the table shook as Kyo bashed the back of his head against it, shoving his arms across his eyes and letting out a disturbed groan, _"ERRRRRG!"_

I watched him uncertainly as his white-knuckled fists slowly loosened, and his body seemed to go limp from the tensed aggravation it held… almost in a manner that looked like all the energy had leaked from his body and onto the floor.

He let out a disheartened breath, "…dammit…" he muttered, "…today just fricken sucks…"

…

I felt my hand lift uncertainly after a strange tightness tugged at my heart,

"…"

but there was a harsh tingling in my palm, and I felt like there was… a _barrier _of some kind between us.

I didn't feel like I could touch him.

I dropped my hand and crossed my arms over the table, "...what's so bad about it?" I asked, my voice quieter than usual in the half hopes that he wouldn't hear.

For the first three seconds I didn't think he did, but then his forearm slid off his face and he gave me a very strange look… then he snorted and looked away, "Nuthin."

He turned onto his side and crossed his arms over the table, his eyes holding a teasing yet accusing glint, "So what 'bout you? Any _proposals _yet?"

I gave a hollow laugh, "Not anywhere close—and I could ask the same thing to you." I sent back that teasing look, but tried to hide the accusation better than he had.

"huh?" He looked confused and I looked at my work as I replied as indifferently as my voice could manage, "I'm pretty sure there are a few girls who might want a piece of you."

Kyo snorted, "Yeah like who," he didn't sound disappointed, but more amused.

I turned my head slightly so my bangs fell in front of my face from him as I wrote down nothing in particular, "…the girl you and Kano-kun were with this morning seemed pretty infatuated."

Each long second that passed I hoped that my sour murmur was low enough that he didn't catch it but—

"…wait…"

I inwardly kicked myself.

"Wait—is that the reason you…?"

When he left the sentence hanging in an awkward search for words I took the chance to intimidate him by giving him an apathetic look, "Why I what?"

He opened his mouth again to talk and I tensed—(how could I say _I don't want anyone's greedy hands on you _without being called a hypocrite?)—but to my luck, Kyo froze up, and I watched his cheeks turn into an dark pink at an impressive speed—

"Nuthinwhatever" Kyo shoved himself up abruptly, grabbing my notes for himself, "thanks," he held them up in a brief gesture as he left the room.

I listened to him nearly stomp off into the kitchen… and when I heard him trudge up the stairs I glanced over my shoulder at him.

When I turned back to my work it took a few moments of gathering my thoughts before I could even register which subject I was doing.

…the room didn't seem very bright anymore, and I took my pencil into my now aching palm.

(Kyo's POV)

Was he being protective?

When he stood beside me in front of whats-her-face?

…was he being protective of _me?_

I lifted my hand and placed the tip of the chalk against the black board.

Or did he just do it out of habit?

Did he even notice how he touched me?

Or was he just trying to get attention drawn to himself?

I scribbled a few numbers onto the mathematical formula written before me, feeling the hard powder from the chalk rub off on my fingers.

His hand had shot a thousand volts up my arm…

The clack of chalk against the blackboard drowned out of my head as I tried to finish my answer.

…Did I do that to him too?

…what if he didn't even…

"That's not right, Nekozuki!"

"You're doing it wrong, Kyon-Kyon!"

"Shut up! No I'm not!"

"Yes you are! Number three is waaay off!"

"I SAID SHADDUP!" I turned my back on the board and whipped the chalk across the classroom and hit the noisy brat square on the forehead and he yelped in shock before falling off his chair.

"Jesus, can't a guy _think up here!" _I barked at them, my aggravation peaking.

"Sohma-kun, do you _want _to stay here after school?" The teacher demanded as she stalked up to me, her rectangular glasses wobbling on the bridge of her small, squished nose.

"I don't wanna be here _now!_" I barked, "What the hell is this anyway?" I waved a hand at the blackboard and the teacher twitched her pale brown eyes at me.

"Alright. Fine, Class—mark your work on your own since Sohma-kun seems to be unable to co-operate." She strutted past me muttering, "Coffee… I need more coffee… maybe a few shots too… what the hell; I'll just down a few bottles…"

When the door shut behind her, I was suddenly swarmed by people—

"What was _that _Kyo-chan?" "I didn't get number three either! We're twins!" "You're hilarious Nekozuki!" "Who throws _chalk_?" "You're such a spaz!" I felt hands clamp on my shoulders, elbows nudge against my arms, and hands ruffle my hair and I barked at them, "The hell is _with all of you!"_

"What's with _us?_" I felt someone lock their arm around my neck, "What the hell's with _you!" _I felt a fist scuffle against my skull in a noogie and I pushed out of it, "Geddoff!"

Hands were everywhere, playful hits on my back and rough rousing of my hair—then the girls came, "Kyo-kun, you should relax more!" I heard one coo from somewhere in the mob and I flinched to try and push everyone away, but every time I made to escape a hand would grab my arm while their laughs rang through the air—I felt my aggravation sweep through me at every hand, at every voice: I didn't want them to touch me! I didn't want to hear them talk; I didn't want to hear them say my name! "I mean it, get off!" I shoved my elbow at a boy and then I felt someone clasp my hand—

Something inside of me snapped and I ripped my hand from the foreign one, rounding on a girl, "QUIT FRICKEN TOUCHING ME!" Her eyes widened in hurt but I felt something hit me in the head, "Kyon-Kyon! That's no way to treat a girl!" "You need manners!" "You're not polite at all!"

Anger growled inside of my chest and I felt my eyes glow—my tendons tensed and I felt a peak of instinct stab at my insides as I felt myself reach for a more untamed safety—

"EEK!" "Whoa it's a cat!" "There's another one!" "Nekozuki you're cats are here!" "How do you _do _that?" "That's amazing! I want one!" "Oh that one's so _cute!"_ "Where did they come from?"

A hand clamped on my shoulder, "You're really weird, Kyo-kun!" another on my arm, "Yeah! You raised by cats or sumthin?" "Teach me!" "Can I have one!"

I felt myself start to shake with rage and my eye twitched as I felt them close in on me—and I snapped, "LEAVE ME THE HELL _ALONE!" _I shoved them all away and bolted over a desk and knocked the door down before taking off on a steamed run down the hallway—

(Yuki's POV)

"We should hijack a Shinkansen!" _(-trans: Japanese Bullet Train)_

"Whaat?"

"It would be more exciting!" Kakeru jumped off the desk, ran over to Naohito's desk and leaned so far over it he was practically sprawling on his paperwork, "It's the first trip of the school year! We must make it thrilling! How else to be thrilling then hijacking a _Shinkansen!"_

"_We're not hijacking a Shinkansen, that's illegal!"_

"Do we have a place booked for overnight?" I asked, looking up from my own papers that I was trying to organize for the trip.

Kakeru looked over to me, still half-sprawled over Naohito's work, "Hmmm… I think so…" he placed himself back on his feet and wandered over to me, "I think I gave it to Sensei, should I go check it out?"

I set down the papers on the desk beside me, "No, it's alright, I can go."

"Let's go together!" Kakeru beamed, snagging my waist pulling me across the room, "ANOTHER MISSION FOR THE SCHOOL DEFENCE FORCE!"

"Would you get off," I said with irritation as I pulled out of his grip, my insides cringing with discomfort and the violation of my space—and as Kakeru smiled at me, I noticed something right there.

Yesterday, when Kyo had welcomed himself into my personal space, I didn't feel the same discomfort inside myself, despite how uninvited the gesture had been. Actually the very last feeling that went through me had been discomfort…

"Man—I hope it isn't gonna be cold when we get there." He started, "The wind's been picking up a lot, I bet it'll rain—aw man then we can all wear white t-shirts and jump around in puddles playing tackle football!"

"Why white t-shirts?" I asked as we made our way up a flight of stairs.

Kakeru gave me that mischievous, toothy grin of his, "Cuz you can see the bras through them!"

"_You have a girlfriend!" _I exclaimed in disbelief and Kakeru burst out laughing, flipping a hand palm up in a shrug, "C'moon Yun-Yun, stop acting so modest! We all know you peek into young girl's rooms when they're undress—"

"That's illegal!" I exclaimed, "_and I'd never do that!"_

Kakeru gave me a contemplative look, then snapped his fingers before pointing at me, "What if it was Kyon-Kyon's room?"

"_I'm not a pervert!"_

"Okay, okay, don't have to shout—NGT!" Kakeru suddenly flinched in surprise before looking down—and a cat rubbed up against his leg. "What the… a cat?"

…?

Kakeru bent down and stroked the chestnut fur of the small cat, "Hey there kitty, what are you doing here?" and it rubbed its head up against his palm before turning and sashaying away from us.

Kakeru straightened up, "Now what do you suppose…"

"How about you go on ahead," I said a little too suddenly, and Kakeru looked at me as I walked forward without him, "I just remembered I needed to find something else, I'll see you back in Student Council,"

"Okay—don't get trapped in a closet." Kakeru flipped me a two-fingered salute before making his own way down the hall opposite of me.

I turned my attention back to the empty hall—and my eyes caught a brown flicker just by the corner, and I walked swiftly down the hall until I turned the corner, spotting the small cat slinking down the hallway, completely unworried.

I walked after it, feeling a bit abnormal in following a cat. I saw the feline's ear twitch and its head twisted around briefly to steal a glance at me—but I must not have held much interest, because it went back to swaying down the hall in the same eased manner it had been.

The cat looked so confident, unbothered by the strange surroundings like it had lived here for decades—and with decisive certainty, it turned to a flight of stairs and scampered gracefully up the steps, it's lithe form making it easy. I quickly made my own way up the stairs, keeping it in my sight until I got to the top, where the cat was wandering over to a navy blue closed door.

The neko pawed at it briefly before turning around, and on spotting my approach it gave me a somewhat expectant look and sat down surely on the floor with patience.

I made my way over to the cat—and on the door was a sign reading 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' that I glanced shortly from expectance. Glancing briefly down both halls, I slid my fingers around the handle and pulled the door open, and the cat slunk through, leading me in.

I let the door close behind me with a click, and I wandered after the cat as it scaled the levels of stairs, the steps of my shoes echoing through the hollow staircase. Upon reaching the top, my hand sliding off the rusting railing, the neko waited patiently again for me without a look of doubt, and I opened the door once more for the feline and it slid outside as a cool gush of air blew around me.

I stepped out onto the roof.

The door closed more silently, and my eyes expectantly found that vibrant orange over the dull grey span of the ground.

Kyo was sitting on an uplifted platform, his face in the arms that he had crossed over his knees, hands balled up into fists. Cats frolicked pleasantly around him, rubbing up with content against his pants, and some standing up with their front paws on his shoulder, pleading for his attention.

I walked forward, not caring to be quiet, and the same chestnut cat looked over to me as I did so, its ears slowly turning forward until I slowed to a stop in front of Kyo, my shadow casting over him.

Kyo lifted his head with expected eyes—which flickered with shock when he saw me.

I was about to nudge an explanation out of him when I noticed that he didn't look like his usual agitated self…

Kyo straightened up and leaned back, bracing his hands behind him and locking his elbows while his eyes took me in suspiciously, "…I'm not going back down."

I tilted my chin to the side in appraise of his suspicion, "…I know."

He lowered his head, the orange fringe of his hair casting shadows over his eyes, "…I'm not staying after school either."

I rolled my eyes mentally, "No one sent me, Kyo."

He looked at me doubtfully, then with incomprehension, confusion, curiosity… and finally he just let out a sigh and looked away. His usual haughty expression was uptight, yet exhausted. I tilted my head… he looked very tired …

Something inside of me tugged in slight panic.

Kyo looked drained …

"So what is it?"

Kyo looked back at me from the sudden question, "Huh?"

I slid a hand on my hip, but held no superiority or demand, "Why're you up here?"

Kyo scrunched his nose for a moment before his eyes wandered down to a cat that was curling around his right ankle, "Does it matter." He said in a disgruntled voice, "You can't make me go back."

I smirked at that before kicking at his shoe and sitting myself down beside him.

"Are you planning on turning the school into a petting zoo?" I tensed when a cat crawled up next to me, its approach cautious.

"They just come, dammit; it's not my fault,"

"I know," I said absently as the cat closed in on me—I flinched when it suddenly rubbed its cheek vivaciously against my arm, feeling my whole body tensed in suspense.

"…why're _you _here?"

I looked up absently at Kyo, "Hn?" when I felt it's head rub against my elbows again I flinched and looked back down at it.

"…don't you have class or sumthin?"

"Yeah," I watched as the cat moved away from me and rubbed its cheek against its paw before licking at it, "I could do with a break though."

I glanced at Kyo to see him gazing back at me—and I felt my stomach tighten.

His eyes held mine, curious and uncertain… and if it was, again, only for five seconds, I was living in slow motion.

Then something rubbed against my leg and I flinched in sudden shock before looking down to see the chestnut-brown neko stroke its lean body against my leg, it's tail curling into the air as it did so.  
I lowered my hand cautiously and brushed my fingers against the cat's chestnut fur, and it arched its back into my touch, "You're cats are friendly today." I tried to hide the unease in my voice from that fact.

"They're not _my cats!"_

My lips tugged at that before the cat placed a paw on my hand, and trying to understand what it wanted I slid my hands underneath its small arms and lifted it off the ground, taking my first attempt at holding a feline—and surprisingly enough, I didn't do good.

The cat let out a small mew before it twisted around unnaturally in my arms when I tried to lay it down on its back on my lap, "What—Now you don't like me?" I said with frustration.

"Let her go on her stomach,"

I looked back at Kyo who was watching me—and then I felt the cat fidget in my arms, and when I looked back the neko had laid itself down on its stomach on my lap.

I looked at the feline with light vexation, "How was I supposed to know that."

"She's not a _dog_," I caught the amusement in Kyo's voice.

"Of course it's not; dogs are easier to please." I cautiously placed a hand on the felines back before stroking it experimentally, "and much less fussy by far."

Kyo snorted, "She _just_ met you." He slid off the platform to sit on the ground, a cat jumping pleasantly onto his lap and he scratched underneath its chin, the neko purring loudly, "Only time she's gonna show off her stomach is if she really trusts you."

I frowned, "I'm not going to stab it." I watched the way the cat's fur waved along with my hand as I stroked its back, "Affection's affection, just take it."

The fur felt soft.

"…it's not _that_ simple."

I looked back over at his mumble, not sure if I was supposed to hear that or not—but he was preoccupied with pulling one cat off another, and when he spoke again his voice was disgruntled and exhausted, "Why do they have to follow me around so much anyways… it just makes things worse when they all show up like that."

I could bet that he got agitated, and the cat's flocked to him in the classroom—just like it had in his first year.

I watched as his eyes wearily watched the cat in his lap rub its face vivaciously against his palm…

There was another short, unpleasant tug in my heart at seeing him look… so _down_. Yesterday he looked stressed and tired, but he looks half-hearted now. That same unpleasant tug grew stronger, and I hesitated before speaking, my eyes falling down to the cat on my lap that was watching the neko on Kyo's with jealousy, , "…then it's a good thing everyone loves cats,"

I felt him look over to me, "…at least you don't have rats following you around everywhere instead," I peeked over to him and gave him a smile, "Everyplace you'd go would probably have to be quarantined."

Kyo snorted, a bitter smile tugging at his lips, "Yeah… good thing you don't lose your temper every time something frustrates you." I could tell he was comparing himself to me, and I felt the need to go against it swell inside of me.

…I opened my mouth, wanting to say that _that _was actually one of the things I admired about him—to an extent, of course—the ability to give in to your emotions. But I decided against saying that, and I ran my hand along the neko's fur, "it's better than always feeling the same thing, frustrated or not." I shrugged it off, "And I think the world might launch itself into a paradox universe if you started controlling your temper." I said playfully, feeling the corners of my lips tug into a small playful grin.

There was a small reluctant tug on his own lips before he changed the subject indifferently, "Don't pull her tail, she'll hate you for that."

"Why would I pull her tail?" After I said it with a voice that said I obviously knew that, Kyo looked at me curiously, "Don't rats like being pulled by their tails?"

"Where did you get _that _idea?"

"Biology—scientists always picked up lab rats by their tails," Kyo smirked at that and offense burst inside of me: "That's animal cruelty! And that _hurts!" _he just smiled so I continued, "If you _ever _pick me up by my tail when I transform, I will shave your head in your sleep!"

Kyo blinked at me before bursting out in a nervous laughter, holding one of his cats closer to his chest as he did so before letting his laugh die away, "…you're not being serious right?"

I cocked my head before smirking at his reaction and I reached out easily, so easily it surprised me, and I pushed his head away as if the barrier from yesterday wasn't anywhere near us on the roof, "Of course I'm not serious—I like your hair." His hair was the first thing I found so beautiful about him—but his eyes, those were the core of my captivation.

I caught the slight tug at the corners of his mouth, and the tinting of his cheeks as I did so, and then Kyo lifted a hand and rubbed the back of his neck, his blush deepening further… and when he lifted his eyes to look at me tentatively through a fringe of orange, I felt a sudden my heart tighten to a near stop, causing my own warmth to creep up my neck…

It was like his gaze was a hot wire that just wrapped around my heart. It was the first time in a while… since he's looked at me like that. My palm tingled with the sudden urge to reach across that small, yet horribly significant space between us and travel through the tendrils of his thick, soft hair; wondering if it would be just as easy… or a thousand times more difficult…

Suddenly something that felt like wet sandpaper licked at my cheek and I recoiled from it in surprise only to meet the coy eyes of the forgotten neko on my lap. The cat made another move for my cheek and I hesitantly put my hand on its chest in cautious attempt to hold it back, "Don't lick me, you eat mice with that mouth!" _what was with these cats today?_

I heard Kyo cough a laugh before I saw his hand curl around its stomach and he lifted it off of me and onto his own chest, tilting his head back and giving me a smirk, "how 'bout _you _learn to take some affection?"

My lips tugged at the touché, and I watched as the cat on his chest stretch up and rub its face against Kyo's cheek—but his eyes stayed on me… and slowly, the humor in his eyes slid away. And that uncertain curiosity seeped back into the crimson.

The hot wire was back around my heart.

And my palm began to tingle.

… it was strange.

Over the span of the week, I barely saw him—and when I did we'd both be giving each other defensive looks and using defensives words… I think this is the first time in a while that we've just been ourselves with each other.

It was so very easy—unavoidably natural now.

And that would be alright… if I didn't see this small space between us as a huge void—not the kind of void those crimson pools were, the kind that made him seem miles away, and made me feel miles away in return.

…I wondered… if the barrier was still there.

Unable to deny an excuse to try, my hand almost involuntarily lifted from my side, and my skin almost seemed to tighten as I reached slowly across the small space between us… I just—haven't touched him the way I _wanted _to for so long… My fingers tingled when I felt the barrier, and inch away from invading his personal space, but his eyes light up, and I was a so close to weaving my hands through the thick tendrils of his hair—when the neko on Kyo's chest slid up and shoved its face into my hand.

My hand flinched at the sudden vigorous rubbing that the cat displayed into my palm, and I felt a blush warm into my cheeks—

I stroked my hand down its soft back before pushing myself off of the platform…

And without another look to Kyo, I left. Feeling the earlier frustration ebb back enthusiastically into my system.

(Kyo's POV)

My explanation hasn't changed yet: he was playing with me.

He knew exactly how to get under my skin and it didn't even make him feel guilty—how cold was that?

I scribbled my pencil against the paper.

He was probably walking around _'patrolling' _or whatever the hell he called it, bored as hell, and decided to pass the time by confusing me.

I pressed the pencil harder into the paper, writing more vigorously.

I mean—we go days without having a normal conversation, then suddenly he…

He starts talking in a way that made me feel at ease, saying things that made me want to smile, _smiling _at me in a way that made me want to get closer, touching 'my' cat in a way that had me jealous, and looking at me in a way that—that made me want to—

I was basically ripping the paper with my pencil led now.

He probably only came cuz someone sent him.

He was probably off somewhere letting some naïve girl flirt with him.

...but the worst part about it all, was I was actually _glad _he came, I actually—really missed…

"Hey Kyon-Kyon!"

I twitched my eye before looking over at Kino who shoved his chair beside my desk and straddled it backwards, "How's it coming? Are you actually studying?"

"Shut up! I study!" I barked.

"Copying notes isn't studying!" A boy with blonde hair that waved in front of his eyes smirked as he peeked at Yuki's notes.

I snarled territorially, "Hell's it to you?"

"Kyon-Kyon, don't get flustered!" The kid laughed.

I bit back a yell and decided to scowl at my paper as I scribbled down the next few sentences, Kino and the Blondie picking up a conversation over my desk.

If it weren't for the damn people, school would be just _fine_.

This whole day has just been a fricken rollercoaster for my moods—and I still had all the aggravation from yesterday worked up in my system.

Even though spending that small amount of time with Yuki had really relaxed me, the moment he left I got confused and irritated all over again.

Spontaneously

"Hey—that looks like Yuki-san's writing!"

I flinched with noticeable irritation, but the stupid blonde didn't get the hint—I think Kino did, but he just ignores that by choice.

"Oh hey yeeaah—Yuki-san and Kyon-Kyon are cousins!" Kino chided, and I gripped my pencil tight with aggravation.

"Really? Aw man I bet you'll never get any bad grades with him around!" The blond cracked.

I barked at him, "_I do my own damn work!"_

"Obviously!" Kino laughed, shoving me playfully by the arm.

"Notes don't count!"

"Course not!" Kino agreed with blatant sarcasm—

"Whoa that's really neat writing!" I looked over to see the blond picking up Yuki's paper—

My hand snapped out and slammed the sheet back onto my desk and I glared daggers at him, _"Don't. Touch. That." _I hissed.

"Kyon, don't be such a tight ass!" Kino roused my hair playfully and I ignored him.

"Haha, yeah, what's in it, a _love note_?" The blond snatched a sheet off my desk and as if my body had been just _waiting _for it to happen I snapped—

I shoved my desk away, lunged at the blond and slammed my fist with was much force as I could against his face and knocked him into a desk—

"I SAID _DON'T TOUCH MY STUFF!" _I yelled before lunging at him again—

But suddenly something caught the collar of my shirt and I was jerked off my feet and fell flat on my back on the floor. Before I could get up a stabbing pain jolting through my shoulder when someone dug their long high heel into the soft of my flesh—

"There are a number of ways to learn the consequence of stealing other's private properties, but you Mister Sohma will be experiencing the consequences of student assault in _my classroom._"

I blinked up at my teacher, her blonde hair curling around her face from a loose ponytail.

"G—YOU'RE STABBING ME WITH YOUR DAMN HIGH HEEL!" I yelled, thrashing to get out of it but she only dug it in deeper, "DAMMIT, THIS IS STUDENT ASSAULT!"

"Then it looks like we'll be spending a lot of time together, Mister Sohma." She said cleanly—and the dull bell for dismissal rang through the air.

Even though I could hear the instant noise of other students fleeing their rooms in the hallways, the kids in this room seemed hesitant whether to leave or watch what happened next.

I didn't feel like having forty pairs of eyes on me so I growled defeat, "Fine, whatever, just get the hell off already!"

"That's a good student." She stepped off of me, "You can leave now everyone, Mister Sohma has three weeks of detention to start."

I pushed myself into a disgruntled sitting position; rubbing at my sore shoulder and looking up to see Kino giving me an enthusiastic thumbs-up with the most ecstatic look on his face before zooming out the door.

Damn idiot knew this would happen.

"What happened, Sohma-kun?"

I looked up when all the other students had fled the room, and the teacher wandered over to the door and closed it, crossing her arms expectantly.

"Nuthin, punk was aggravating me." I grumbled.

"Well then. Start cleaning up, I want this room spotless, and if I ever catch fists flying in this room again I will tie your wrists with duct-tape every class as a precaution."

I gaped at her, "Are you crazy? It wasn't my damn fault!"

"Tolerance, Mister Sohma, is a trait you should have attained by now." She said sternly before opening the door, the noise of the hallways echoing into the room, "I would assign a much less pleasant job for you, but today I have a date to attend, so do a _good job_."

I wrinkled my nose at her before she closed the door on me.

I growled into the empty room, looking at the messy room that was only half my fault. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair before calming myself down, going to the back of the room, and starting the desk-stacking.

It took me a good fifteen minutes to get all the desks in the back of the room, piled in pairs on top of each other in reciprocal form before gathering all the chairs one by one.

I didn't like dirty or messy, but that didn't mean I liked to clean—I kept things as neat and organized with only the effort I cared to apply because I didn't like cleaning when I had other stuff I could do. Tohru loved to clean, that was basically the only thing her life consisted of—and Yuki didn't even bother putting the effort in.

…at the thought of Yuki I felt a string of emotions burst through me and I growled in aggravation.

How much shit do I have to put up with, this is really bugging me.

I felt like all of my energy was being wasted on how much inner turmoil I have going on.

I felt like my motivation for anything was starting to slack—because everything got me bothered, everything got me aggravated, and it was overwhelming.

I hated being uncertain, or feeling confused, or dammit—fine, insecure.

I felt maybe a bit insecure—in the slightest way possible, not a huge bunch, just a tiny little prick every now and then… guys weren't supposed to feel insecure.

Dammit, I don't even understand half the crap that's going on inside of me.

He makes me want to punch him into a wall—and at the same time, I wanted nothing but a little bit of his intimate attention.

I shoved a chair against the wall and braced it, leaning over and glaring at the floor.

Hell, why—why can't he see me the way I see him?

Even when I'm in a blistering rage, there's still a part of me that just wants—

I growled and kicked the chair before turning around and stomping moodily across the bare floor and snatching at the broom in the corner.

That's a stupid question anyway, isn't it obvious enough as it is?

I shoved the broom across the dirty floor, watching the daily-build of dirt collect around it.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

(Yuki's POV)

I was still in a bad mood.

It hasn't been going away lately, and it's getting bothersome.

I tapped my pen in an irritated rhythm on my desk in my room.

Ever since I got home from the last Student Council meeting—all my effort today put into finishing the preparations for the trip—I've been trying to finish up all of my homework with the motivation of having something to concentrate on so I wouldn't have to think of all the things that bother me… but now the homework was on that list.

I had walked home to find Haru and Tohru already here, having their own study session in the dining room. Once catching sight of me, Tohru put it upon herself to make dinner and left Haru and I in the dining room together.

Haru wasn't the kind of person I enjoyed talking to when I wasn't in a tolerant mood—and he had decided to bring up the person I definitely didn't need conversation to think about.

I had heard his name dropped around the school when it finished, but Haru was the one to confirm to me that that Baka Neko got into a fight again.

So there was another thing to get irritated over.

Maybe I was just looking for things to get agitated over, reasons to explain why I felt so irritated, or maybe I just saw it subconsciously as completely unfair how he could go around breaking out in a fight wherever and whenever he wanted to, and I felt chained to keep my composure.

Tohru's cooking was, if possible, even more carefully prepared then before; but after all Haru was present yet again. As I finished my meal I found myself hoping secretively that it wouldn't become a daily habit.

I was bothered today to begin with. It was actually the subconsciously selfish intention to set off some of my steam on Kyo that motivated me to follow the cat, sure that the reason all of them had gathered was because his explosive rage took over again. But when I saw him looking so disheartened, that frustration was forgotten and actually _lifted _over those few minutes, but once it got to the more-then-friendly aspects the frustration welled right back up and I didn't feel like making his day as miserable as mine.

Obviously, it was a wasted effort on my part, since he had a fight with someone else, probably some innocent kid who did nothing at all.

-noticing that my mind was wandering back to Kyo, I dropped my pen with exasperation on my desk.

He's all I've been thinking about today—and yesterday. Of course he made his detestably-frequent appearances in my head over the whole week.

I put my elbows on my table and slid my face into my hands.

I just needed to calm down, have a breath, and perhaps have a long bath.

It may be fair to blame my irritancy on my lack of sleep, but acknowledging that as the problem wouldn't exactly make things better since I have no control over my sleep as much as I would like.

…This usually happened after seeing Akito.

I would usually have issues sleeping for a week or so… maybe, hopefully, it'll stop in a few days.

I felt really drained, without energy for anything productive.

Completely useless to myself and everyone else around me.

-I heard someone loudly climb the stairs, but even as the steps neared my door I didn't take my face from my hands.

When the door was opened without any _knocking _like a polite person would have done, I looked over to an agitated Kyo.

He was giving me an appraising look of suspicion, and I delivered my own glare back at him.

He's the last person I wanted to see right now.

"Ever heard of knocking?" I stood up from my seat and Kyo became reflexively defensive as he swung his backpack off his shoulders and shoved his hand inside before taking out something, taking two steps toward me before holding out my folder to me at arm's reach.

I took it swiftly before plopping it dismissively on my desk and crossing my arms over my chest, "I heard you got into another one of your _brawls_ today."

He glared at my accusing voice and replied in his own haughty tone, "Hell does it matter to you?"

"It's the _beginning _of the school year," I condescended him; "you're going to get expelled if you keep up that idiotic record."

"I _said—Hell does it matter to you?_" He slung his bag back over his shoulder, "The damn punk deserved it!"

"Oh really?" I said sarcastically, losing the grip on my aggravation, "And what _felony _did this student dare commit against you?"

"Hey-hey—_you're _the one who threatened to make me re-do the whole damn thing if I ruined any of it!" Kyo barked in his defense.

I glanced back at the folder of my notes, clicking it together, and I rounded on him with more aggravation, "You got in a fight over _paper!" _

"The damn kid was _pissing me off!"_

"Kyo, they're just _notes!"_

Kyo advanced towards me aggressively, his mouth opened to roar out a defending explanation—

But no words came out and I waited expectantly while he took in a few promising inhales, but he remained an aggravated mute.

Then he tensed with something other than aggression, his eyes holding a different frustration, and a hesitant color filled his cheeks…

Then with an aggravated huff of air, Kyo turned on his heel and stormed out of my room, slamming the door behind him and stomping down the stairs.

I waited until his steps faded until I let out my own puff of air.

I glanced over my shoulder apathetically at my folder, then at the work I couldn't finish, then over to my bed.

My frustration simmered down.

I let out a sigh.

Unfolding my arms from my chest I walked back over to my chair and slid myself in it, picking up my pen and clicking it exhaustedly against my desk before placing it down and sliding a hand through my hair in an exasperated manner.

Well there we went again.

Just as easily as we had talked with each other on the roof, we had snapped out at each other.

I let my eyes fall on my pen.

…he was agitated, I was agitated, what else would have happened, honestly.

I let out another sigh and reached for my folder, deciding to examine how ripped apart the trivial notes were—they really hadn't mattered, I would have let him keep them, I basically had this all up in my head.

I opened the folder and sifted through the pages in too tired a state to care to be the slightest bit tweaked even if it had all been in shreds.

When I got to the end, though, I flipped more attentively back through the pages… and frowned.

They were in perfect condition—if possible; they even looked neater then when I had given them to him.

With another heavy exhale of exhaustion, I pushed back my chair.

A bath might really help…

**End**

**AN- **…that felt really fast. I told you I switched POV's a lot _–grumbles- _ anyways this was, I guess, in some way… more build up. Nothing too extravagant happened, but it served its purpose and it took a lot of concentration—which wasn't too easy to get right now, but ah well it's finished. Done. Posted.

I am satisfied with it. Good riddance—now for the next chapter

Please tell me what you think and **!Review!**


	62. Chapter 62

**AN- **I AM SO SORRY EVERYONE I'VE BEEN SHUTTLE-BOMBED WITH SCHOOL AND EXAMS AND WORK AND LACK OF CONCENTRATION SKILLS AND ANIMECONS AND RL-

Aheh, so I've been taking care of things one by one and now it's time for OffBalance –shakes dust off story- _how _long have I been gone?  
Anyways, completely dorky time to trash out on the story wasn't it? Chpt62, I should be hang-gliding this to the end. WHICH WILL BE HAPPENING NOW. more so then before...  
So this chapter wasn't very—I dunno, it was kinda just a "WTF GET THE DAMN THING DONE! _–CHAINS SELF TO CHAIR-_" kinda thing so if it's slightly OOC or corny or boring or just… creepy cut me some slack I'm begging, I'm trying to get back into updating this frequently see how well that goes!

**WHO WANTS A RECAP? I'LL SAVE YOU FROM SCAMPERING THROUGH THE LAST BILLION CHAPTERS!  
**So we all know Yuki and Kyo get together, awkward beginning, slowly gets into the swing of things, a lovely end of denial at a victorious chpt20, the basics, some physical intimacy, emotional intimacy, and sexual intimacy (60chaps in how evil am i) some Akito spotlight with Yuki, fighting between the bishounens, School starts up, oh yes Kyo and loads of Cats last chappie and Yuki finds him on the school roof, and now I believe we are on a class trip!

What trouble will ensue on such an occasion?  
(we are in Fall, readers, just so we all know the season _–nods-_)

THANK YOU to my Alfred for beta-ing and kicking my butt to get this done in a very brotherly way ^-^ it is now glazed in awesome. You made me feel hella lot more confident about this chpt THANK YOU! *glomps*

BTW i am shoving up the last few chpts up pronto

OH and thank you to all of you who have PM-ed me over my time of none-existence, it was your encouragement and frequent little nudging that kept OffBalance fresh in my mind!  
thank you, the support really helps!

**Chapter Sixty Two**

(Kyo's POV)

I looked up at the sky and my eyes narrowed in suspicious disgust.

I could almost smell rain coming—

"Hey Kyon," I felt someone nudge my arm and Kino gave me a wide grin, "Day-dreaming about Sensei again?"

I bristled and swung my bag off my shoulder at his head, "Would you shut up with that already? It's getting fricken old!"

"No it's not!" Kino laughed as he dodged my bag.

"Oi—Kii! Kyon!"

Kino swished his head around, his brunette hair tussling around as his hazel-brown eyes lit up, "Eh! Shii! What's up?"

Shino scampered up next to me, his breath huffing out of him, "Did you guys check out the café down around central? The food's so great!"

"Eh? No, I'm starving!" Kino nudged me with his elbow, "Hey, Kyon, wanna grab a bite?"

"Not hungry."

"Yeah right, your stomach was growling the whole way out here!"

"Was not!" I rounded on Kino who replied, "You looked like a sad little kitten that hasn't eaten for days!"

"Go by yourself," I said in a disgruntled voice, "Stop bothering me."

"Oh c'mon, Kyon, lets go eat together!" Kino latched onto my arm.

I snapped my arm out of his grip, "like hell I'd go if you say it like _that!"_

"Don't get him all flustered, Kino!"

"_I'm not flustered!"_

Shino snickered and Kino laughed openly while I shifted my bag on my shoulder, growling back a disgruntled sneer.

"Hey! Look! Let's go in there!" Kino grabbed my elbow and pulled at it as I looked over apathetically at a store which had a doorway crammed with senior students trying to get in and out.

I didn't realize I was being dragged until we were halfway across the slim street, and I pulled out of his grip, "Hey, who says I wanna go?"

"Alright we'll get something for you," Kino dodged through students, ramming his way through to get to the entrance door, Shino on his heels with his blond hair bouncing.

I let out a huff for a sigh before making my way back across the narrow street and wandering down the side walk indifferently, the stone path lined with potted plants.

Loud noisy brats—sugar was the last thing those two need.

The fellow seniors and I were on that trip as of today, Wednesday, and whereas some of the students were psychotically excited (mostly the girls—but they got excited over everything) I was completely apathetic to the whole thing. It was at least a change of scenery.

I looked up and squinted at the noon sun that was peeking through the towering buildings above me, its light reflecting off tall dusty windows. The moist scent of dirt and decaying leaves were mixed in with the old gritty smell of the sidewalk and buildings—if it weren't for the cool breeze, my lungs would feel stuffy.

"Oh Kyo-kun!"

I looked around expectantly to see Tohru scamper up to me, her face glowing brightly with a wide grin, "Hi!" She matched my stepping, "How're you enjoying the trip Kyo-kun? Isn't this a beautiful place? I can tell this is going to be an exciting year!"

"Be the same as any." I said indifferently… then I noticed that she was alone, "…where's your friends? Aren't you three glued to the hip or somethin'?" I slowed to a stop as I glanced behind us.

"Oh—well, yes, they're just grabbing some snacks… are you hungry? I could grab you something if you want, since you can't get it yourself with all those people, can you?" She offered.

"Nah I'm fine," I brushed off.

"Hey, Kyon, you're gonna pay me back, right?" Kino walked up to us along with a pleased looking

Shino, both of them carrying a small bag of purchased goods.

Then Kino's chocolate eyes locked onto Tohru, "Oh hey there!" Kino pushed past me, "Don't tell me! I know your name—Tori-kun?"

"It's Tohru, you idiot," I hit him on the head.

"Even I knew that," Shino commented before going back to nibbling his strawberry Pocky innocently. Kino rubbed his brunette hair and chuckled apologetically, "Sorry!"

"Oh no no don't worry! A lot of people get it wrong because it's usually a boy's name but my mom thought it would be cute for a girl to have so that's what she called me!" Tohru beamed, saying it all in one breath.

"You don't say," Kino scratched his chin, "Well, it _is _very cute for a girl! But I think you'd be cute no matter what you're ca—"

"Alright, let's _go_ ya friggen ass." I dragged Kino away by his collar and Tohru spluttered, "W-well goodbye! I'll see you later Kyo-kun!"

I looked back at her, "Stay away from this creep, got it?"

"Kyo-kun, you can't keep them _all_ to yourself!" Kino weaseled out of my grip.

"Oi! Kii!" I didn't even bother looking 'round when Kino did exactly that and called out in my ear, "Hey guys! C'mon hurry up!"

"We're gonna check out this place that Tou heard 'bout you guys wanna come along?" A boy with small, squared frames asked enthusiastically once he caught up with us, "It's got this really huge store—"

"Here have some," Shino shook the box of pocky at me, "seriously, I got another one," he insisted, pushing it into my chest and I grabbed it to keep it from falling.

"So how'd you summer go?" Shino blew a lock of dirty blond hair out of his hazel eyes before ripping open another package of sugary treats, "Go anywhere amazing?"

"Nope." I stuck a chocolate coated stick into my mouth and the sugary taste immediately took over my taste buds. Shino replied, "That sucks—I went on a trip with my older brother, but you don't wanna hear about that." He laughed quietly.

Then an arm was around my neck, "So, Kyo-kun, anybody catching your eye?"

"No so don't ask," I shrugged out of the boy's arm and he elaborated, "Y'know a lot of romance can happen on a class trip! Last time, me and this girl hooked up in a public bathroom at a black out—"

"I don't wanna hear that!" I barked in disgust and he just smirked at me.

"Ah just ignore them," Shino crunched on his treat, and the other boy gave a laugh, "Keep talking virgin!"

Shino spat out onto the ground and looked up with a red face, "AM NOT! DON'T SAY THAT!"

"Virgin! Virgin! Virgin! Shii-chan's a _virgin!_"

"STOP THAT! AM NOT!"

I walked on ahead as the boys started bickering behind me, pulling out another stick of pocky and popping it into my mouth.

This was gonna be a long three days.

(Yuki's POV)

"Thank you, Honda-san," I reached out and took the cup of hot chocolate before hugging my sweater closer to my body from the cool temperature.

"Yes! Not a problem!" She smiled warmly and I returned a small one before concealing it behind the rim of my cup and letting the hot sweet beverage spill into my mouth.

"It's gettin pretty chilly, wonder how cold it's gonna be this shogatsy(newyears)," Arisa mused before shoving the sleeves of her shirt up to her elbows, showing off her lean muscular forearms as she dug into a candy bag.

"Oh, it's only the fall breeze! Plus it's getting pretty dark so that might be why it's getting cold… oh, Yuki-kun, are you warm enough?" Tohru turned to me with concern, "I know your bronchial tubes are weak, and this sudden chilly weather might be upsetting you?"

I gave her a smile that I hope concealed my weariness, "It's not that cold, Honda-san, no need to worry about me."

"Ah damn it!" Arisa cussed as candy spilt from her bag and plopped to the floor. She shoved her fists on her hip and glowered menacingly at her dirty treats, "Well that's just pleasant! God, I'm fricken starving, isn't there any justice in this freaken world?"

I took another sip from my hot chocolate, ignoring Arisa's evidently grumpy mood.

"I agree." Hanajima mused, "I, too, seem to be unbearably hungry."

I looked at her incredulously from over the rim of my cup—didn't I see her come out of a restaurant with a take-out package a few minutes ago? I looked around, but I think it would be safe to guess where that food had gone.

"Yeah! C'mon Hana, lets go get sumthin good!" Arisa enthused, but Tohru piped in, "Shouldn't we be returning to the dorms pretty soon?"

Arisa waved it off with a dismissive hand, "Ah, we have time—so you comin' Tohru? Prince?" Arisa said expectantly as she turned around and walked off with her hands sliding into the pockets of her long skirt, Hana gliding after her.

Tohru turned to me, "I suppose we do have some time! Are you coming too? Or is it a little too busy for you…" She peeked around at the slight crowd surrounding us, "It seems that things haven't died down yet,"

"I can last in this," I said reassuringly, "but I'm getting a bit tired, perhaps I will head back to the dorm now."

"Would you like me to go with you?" She asked, her voice convincingly honest.

I gave her a small smile, "No that's alright; you should spend some time with Uo-san and Hana-san."

She gave me another smile before taking a few steps back, "Then I'll see you later, Yuki-kun!"

She turned and wandered after Arisa and Hana who had stopped to wait for her, Arisa's face markedly disgruntled with hunger.

Tohru's seemed a little less spunky then usual this day, and I wondered if it was because she wasn't anywhere close to Haru… those two have been spending a lot of time together; on the days when I spent lunch with the four of them Tohru and Haru seemed to be in a bubble of their own. It was a very subtle observation since they didn't display any physical affection, but I caught that admiring gaze in Haru's usually distant eyes when he looked at her, or the quick phantoms of a smile Tohru would send him with the glow of a blush on her cheeks.

There was a very comfortable and lax air around those two—but for an unjust reason it attributed the opposite affect in my stomach.

Uo and Hana seemed to be very lenient with Haru lately, and I wondered if they've ever approached him on the subject—since I knew they both had a very deep bond with Tohru, and felt affectionately protective of her. I understood this because I too had, in some degree, the same protectiveness over her happiness. But I supposed that if it were to be anyone, I would prefer it to be Haru then any other of the boys at our school—and I think that honestly since meeting Kakeru.

I turned around and slipped my disposable cup into the garbage before making my way down the side of the pathway, avoiding the business around me. The sun was nearly done setting, its gold glow scorching the clouds above me, and all students were to report back to their appropriate dorms around 9 pm. I was a little early on the clock, but I found myself to be a bit tired from the constant walking around all of today after last night's unrequited sleep.

I lifted a hand and slid it over my face and through my hair, feeling the cool wind lick at my cheeks as I did so. The good thing about this trip was that it postponed a lot of work that would have been given this week; I already had a number of tests scheduled for next week.

"Hey, President!" A boy waved as he passed me by after I gave him an acknowledging smile.

I approached the simple building of where we were staying: tall, lean, windows small and squared, asphalt beige, and the double doors that declared entrance were a simple grey. The sun that was now dissolving into the hidden horizon was giving the surrounding buildings long shadows that cast over the numerous people who were still wandering around.

I was hoping this trip wouldn't be too eventful…

"Hey Yun-Yun!"

… a _very _vain hope

I turned indifferently to see Kakeru strutting his way up to me with that wide smile, "Haven't seen you all day! You heading back to the dorms?"

I nodded and Kakeru let out an excessive yawn, "Me too—all this socializing has made me tired! I need a nap."

It was beginning to get dark and as we reached the building I notice a few students flocking with us, and Kakeru took a few fast strides to reach the door ahead of me and he pulled it open, bowing theatrically, "After you, your highness!"

I grabbed the shoulder of his sweater and pushed him through the door, "just get in there."

Kakeru slunk in casually as a light tune whistled past his lips, the door closing behind me.

The entrance room was a comfortable chestnut brown, and I slipped off my shoes and placed them in a side shelf before picking up my school slippers.

"Huh, wonder where everyone is," Kakeru mused as he shoved on his own slippers, "Hey Yun-Yun! We have to go find them!"

"What?"

"Didn't you see the sky? It's past sundown!"

"You don't really expect them to come in on time, do you?" I asked curiously—he seemed to be the guy who'd spend hours running about after curfew before returning to the dorms.

"Don't you know what's happening?" His voice was suddenly urgent, "It's finally come to this!"

"What has?"

Kakeru grabbed my collar, "_Zombies!"_

oh, for the love of…

"FINALLY A MISSION WORTHY OF THE SCHOOL DEFENCE FORCE!" Kakeru bellowed, "WE SHALL BRAVE THE DESERTED STREETS AND SAVE OUR COMRADES FROM THE DECAYING CLAWS OF THE _DEAD!"_

"Would you—_hey!" _I reached out when Kakeru made to storm for the door, still bellowing his nonsense, "QUICK, YUN-YUN, GRAB SOMETH—" the door suddenly swung open before I could grab

Kakeru and the collision with his face was confirmed with a cracking thud before he flopped back onto the floor.

"EH!"

"You hit the Vice President!"

I stepped up to Kakeru and he peeked up at me, his hand holding his nose.

"… You're an idiot." I walked out of the entrance hall—but not without Kakeru's voice of incredulous disbelief, "_You're just going to leave your wounded comrade to fend for himself? _Yun-Yun you're so cruel!—oh hey guys, whats up?"

I rolled my eyes as I walked through the large open dining room, the walls a smeared blue, and I glanced up at the clock on the far wall which read 8:45 before making my way to the staircase at the end, climbing up the carpeted stairs.

Curfew was set in half an hour, but I already felt tired with the hope that I could get some sleep tonight. By the time I reached the top of the stairs I was about to turn left into the hallway of the boy's dorm when I saw a frazzled teacher strutting down the hall—and when her eyes snapped on me I felt a sense of peril as they glistened in a very unfriendly way.

"You, President Sohma," Her meter-long strutting steps brought her to me at a dizzily fast pace and she beckoned a quick finger at me in gesture for me to follow, "Come on, I think you'll be of some use!"

"…did something happen, Sensei?" I asked as I had to quicken my steps to keep up with hers, despite how she wasn't much taller then I.

"_You could say so!" _She growled, taking me down into the hallway of the Girl's dorm, the brunette bun on her head bobbing with her vigilant pace.

I saw a the few girls who came into their dorms early peek out of their rooms and I felt an awkward pang inside my chest from uncomfortably barging into the female territory, so I tried to ignore them all and focus on where my teacher was marching me.

"Completely unhygienic, unsanitary, disrespectful, hormonal teenagers, where do they get all these absolutely _vulgar _ideas, it's absolutely _typical_…" I listened uncertainly as she grumbled on in a disheveled mutter, and I caught the flush in her cheeks that I, at the time, assumed to be fury.

But when she brought me into one of the girl's dorm rooms, where I hesitated at the threshold, I caught sight of a disgruntled female student looking pissed-off and stubborn next to a boy who was being scolded impressively by one of the teachers—

Needless to say, I didn't need to see the messy condition of her blond hair and clothes that seemed to have been thrown on in a hurry and the unpermitted presence of the matching boy to piece the situation together.

I tuned into the present lecture, "—both of your parents will be notified, and despite whether they punish you accordingly or not, we will see fit that you will be!"

"Matsu, I have the president here," my escorter trudged into the room, "How about we leave Eichi with him until we're finished with Mariko?"

I opened my mouth to protest at the sudden non-consented decision the teacher had bestowed on me, but Eichi had enthusiastically gotten up and dashed over to me like a child ducking under a bomb shelter in the middle of a war.

"Alright then me and the pres will be off!" The teachers glowered at his cheery tone at the sight of an escape, and he left the room in a relieved huff.

I let out a sigh before following him, the teacher calling an order after me, "Wait downstairs!"

I fell into step easily with Eichi who looked completely relieved that he got out of that room alive. He ran an exhausted hand through his light brunette hair, smoothing it out from its ragged appearance.

I ignored him, bathing myself in my oncoming disgruntled mood.

We walked out of the girl's hallway when Eichi glanced at me from over his shoulder, speeding up,

"Well thanks pres! See ya tomorrow!"

I halted at the top of the stairs while he moseyed his way into the Boy's dorm, "Eichi-san."

He stopped reluctantly, and with even more stubbornness he turned to look at me, his expression disgruntled and pleading. I ignored his silent begging and gave him an expectant look before turning and walking down the stairs.

The faded patting of my footsteps seemed mesmerizing in my tiring state, and Eichi's steps filled in the silence between mine. When I got to the bottom of the stairs I held my hand back from rubbing against my eyes, which were tickling with the plea for sleep.

I wandered mechanically over to one of the tables that were still set up in the blue welcome room, and I pulled back a chair against the tatami mat that covered the span of the floor and sat down. Eichi reluctantly followed, looking annoyed at the situation—but after a few minutes, his face obtained a smug grin.

The students flocked in from the entrance hall, and as I glanced up at the clock I could see that it read 9 o'clock—everyone had decided to cut it thin with curfew. After numerous students greeted me on the way to their dorms I gave up on replying back and settled on nodding in acquaintance.

At one point a small group of people joined our table and talked eccentrically with Eichi as he explained with smug amusement what had happen, and I spent those moments reciting anything I could recall in my head in attempt to ignore Eichi's vulgar recap of exactly 'how far' he got with Mirako before the teacher's caught them.

There was plenty of noise for a while, and as nine-thirty crept up it gradually moved from the main floor up to the dorms until the only people left in this open, wide room was Eichi and I.

I felt my eyes become heavy and my joints seemed to have rusted in place as my elbow rested on the table, my hand propping my head up. I had been trying to pay attention to everything Eichi was chatting about, but after an hour of listening to his life story his high rusty voice was beginning to fade in and out of my hearing.

"—ohma-kun?"

"Hm? Yeah?" I looked over to Eichi, pulling out of my daze, and he looked pleased that I reacted.

"You think they forgot 'bout us?" He said in a casual voice, glancing up at the clock that was now ticking close to 10:35, "Can we leave—I need to change and everything."

"No, we better stay here," I said, wanting to disagree with my own opinion and follow his.

But then Eichi straightened up in his seat and I heard footsteps behind me before a notepad and pen were placed swiftly in front of me on the table.

"Can we go now?" Eichi said, his voice holding a whiny tone.

"No." The teacher said swiftly, and Eichi let out an expected groan.

"What're you _doing _with her, convicting her to nun-hood or sumthin?" He complained sarcastically, and I saw the teacher's eye wrinkle with a twitch of agitation.

"No. We had a few difficulties on the phone with her parents for the last while, and we are giving her a lecture on modesty and virtue—which you will be getting as well." She sniffed, and I pulled my attention to the front door that seemed to be opening quietly—but the teacher turned swiftly to catch the peaky girl who was trying to sneak in.

"Asa-chan." The shrill voice snapped, and the girl let out a startled squeak before her face fell in disappointment as the teacher creaked a boney finger in implication for her to come forth.

The teacher then lifted up the pen and paper, assessing the student as she tentatively wandered closer, her eyes falling on me for a brief second before flickering quickly away.

"Are you aware that curfew is set at 9 o'clock?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And what time is it now?"

"10:40, Ma'am."

"Mhm, mhm," The teacher placed the tip of the pen on her pad and scribbled quickly, "I want your name, homeroom, homeroom teacher—"

The teacher listed off the required information, and then gave the apologetic girl a dismissal wave, allowing her to scurry out of the room and up the stairs.

"Now—Mister Sohma, if you would so kind as to take down any other students that might wander in," she placed the paper pad down in front of me and I nodded, "yes, sensei."

"And perhaps _you _can give this young boy a brief talk about modesty and virtue—since I am certain that you are overflowing with such attributes."

Eichi and I both stared up at her before she nodded curtly and turned on her heel to stride back out of the room.

I leaned back in my chair, feeling completely drained by now, and I shared my 'modest' and 'virtuous' wisdom:

"don't have sex here."

"Gotcha."

It was another fifteen minutes before the door creaked open again, and it was a boy this time who crept into the open room—and on sight of Eichi and I he rolled his head back in defeat.

He padded his way up to us, "hey pres." He said, expecting the routine at a glance at the pad and pen in front of me, already listing Asa-kun's information.

"Sensei's orders," I said, hearing the laziness leaking into my voice as he picked up the pen and I listed him the information needed, reciting the teacher's words from the top of my head.

"Get in trouble, Eichi?" He asked absently as he scribbled down the last few lines.

"Aah nuthin new, sensei's just being a grouch." Eichi crossed his arms behind his head, leaning the chair onto its back legs leisurely.

"Augh, it's not Ms. Pinklebirth is it?" The boy placed down the pen, "I got her for ELA, she's a real nut job!"

"Yeah I know," Eichi wrinkled his nose, "All the other teachers are just fine but that one's a fricken vulture, eh?"

"Haha, well sucks to be you then," The boy smiled and slid the paper and pen back to me, "Awesome seeing you Pres—catch you two tomorrow,"

"So whats up Sohma, haven't heard much 'bout you other then what your fans squawk about," he smiled with amusement, "Whatcha gonna do next year?"

I blinked at the sudden question, "…well… I don't know, really,"

"Didn't mean to pry," he said with a smile and I shook my head.

"No, I just haven't thought about it… college probably." I said contemplatively.

What was I going to do? After this year, what am I going to do with my life?

"Yeah me too."

I looked back at him at he grinned at me, "Can't pass up all those chicks."

I rolled my eyes and he laughed.

Our conversation was lax, mostly he did the talking—and he had a casual air about him that made the silences comfortable. But after a while he ended up folding his arms across the table and resting his face in them while I stared blankly at the wall, my fingers tracing the contour of the pen. It wasn't long after that I rested my head in my hand and slid my eyes for just a few minutes…

"Hey!"

"_What?"_

At the sound of harsh whispers I snapped my eyes open, not knowing how long I had dozed off for, but when I looked around I saw another student standing a few feet away.

"What're you doing out so late, Kyon? It's past curfew y'know," Eichi demanded with mocking authority.

"What does it matter?" Kyo snapped in a whisper.

"President Yuki Sohma's gonna have to report you!" Eichi crossed his arms over his chest, obviously pushing aside the fact that he was still the convict in this situation, "Now get over here and let's do this properly!"

"Willya shaddup," Kyo walked over to the table, "You're real damn annoying, y'know that?" Kyo braced his hands on the table and scrutinized me with his eyes, "Whatdya need—my blood type?"

I sighed, pushing the supplies away from me in dejection, "Do what you want." I laced my arms lazily over my chest and my eyes drifted down to the table in yearning to close.

I was tired enough already without starting something up with Kyo. He had a real knack for showing up when my moods were disheveled.

But then I saw him crouch on the ground, crossing his arms on the table and he peeked up at me.

His eyes narrowed and slid over to Eichi, "Whadya do, brat?"

"Me? I didn't do anything." Eichi said nonchalantly, "What did _you _do?"

"The hell you talking about?"

"What're _you _talking about?"

"Why are you two out here?" Kyo rephrased, I caught the frustration in his voice—he hated beating around the bush.

"Ask Ms. Pinklebirth."

Kyo flinched, his face contorting into disgust, "Augh, _her_?"

"She's a legend!" Eichi exclaimed in grossed disbelief, "You have her?"

"For ELA." Kyo grumbled.

"Hate to break this up, but if she comes down I _will _have to report you," I told Kyo as he looked back at me.

He pushed himself up and his hand touched my elbow unexpectedly, "You can go y'know, I can take care of this idiot."

I blinked up at him.

"Hey!" Eichi objected, "for you information Kyon, Yuki and I were having a swell time!"

"Who the hell could have a swell time with _you_?" Kyo barked in a whisper.

My lips tugged in a weary smile and I slid my elbow out of his touch, "I'll stay—and you'd get in trouble anyways."

"So? I don't care, that won't shock anyone." He put a hand indifferently on his hip and turned his face apathetically away, "Not like _I _have a massive reputation I can't taint without hell freezing over."

It wasn't an insult, it was a tease.

I could tell by the glance he sent me, not challenging but observant to my reaction.

I grinned at that and rolled my eyes, "What reputation."

"Hey Kyon stay a while," Eichi kicked a chair out from across the table on Kyo's side, but he pushed it back dismally.

"Nah, I'm gone," Kyo turned.

"see ya," Eichi called back in a whisper as Kyo disappeared up the stairs.

…and there it was again, another moment where I felt completely at ease by his presence. Despite how much we've argued over the last few days.

Eichi blew out his breath in a bored manner and tapped the table with the palm on his hands as I eyed the notepad.

"I shouldn't pick favorites." I muttered.

"Mm?"

I reached out and picked up the pad before tearing the two pages containing the late student's information and I folded them neatly before sliding them into my pocket.

I eyed Eichi, "Not a word,"

"Yours against mine, Pres," Eichi said casually, "Can't beat _your _reputation."

(Kyo's POV)

"It's happening again!"

"What do we do!"

"Should I get sensei!"

"Hold on—I think it's okay…"

"We should get sensei!"

"Is this _normal_?"

"No don't! You don't know what your doing!"

"Can I _please _get sensei!"

"_NO!_ Shut up!"

"hey—hey maybe if we make a lot of noise?"

"You think?"

I walked out of the washroom, sliding my arms through my uniform shirt and pulled it on my shoulders over my t-shirt as I glanced over to where a small portion of the boys from this dorm were gathered on the floor.

"Pres…ident…?" I watched as a boy reached out to touch a slumped-over body that was sitting up on the floor, and my mouth opened before I could stop, "Hey don't touch him!"

Four pairs of eyes darted up to me, taking me aback, and I inwardly kicked myself before picking up indifference, "Just let 'im sleep, he'll wake up sooner or later,"

Some kid spoke up uncertainly, "He's not even _twitching…_ and he'll miss breakfast,"

I felt the irritation inside of me boil at their stubbornness and I bit back a growl, "So will you; Just leave 'im alone already,"

"Yeah, he'll get up," One boy said as he pushed himself up, "I'm starving, let's go,"

It wasn't until all of them were out of the room when I felt my anger simmer down—why do people always have to act so damn concerned over every little thing.

Having an excellent start out to the day, I wandered over to the spot that the boys were just occupying and I crouched down, "Oi, Yuki…"

Just as the boys said, he didn't even twitch. He barely moved at all except for the rise and fall of his chest underneath the futon—he looked dead tired. I wondered how long he stayed up last night…

Despite how fragile it made him look, the violet sheen around his closed eyes and the ashen rose coloring his lips made his already angelic face look porcelain as that smoky rouse he called hair framed it like fog. I reached out a hand and for a moment felt a pang of guilt—despite the unease lying within the faded, worried lines in his face, he looked completely at rest with one arm curled underneath his pillow and the other hand curling his willowy fingers against the collar of his open-buttoned shirt.

I really shouldn't wake him, for two reasons… the first; he probably really needed the sleep, he looked so tired…

And the second; if I wake him up I could end up unconscious on the floor in two seconds flat and be bombarded by a grumpy and freakishly strong Yuki for the rest of the day.

Man, I should've just let those four idiots improvise and sit back to watch, that would've at least been entertaining…

But at that thought a flare erupted back in my chest—nah, like hell I'd ever be okay with anyone but me waking Yuki up… I saw that as _my _territory now. And it was.

Whiny Rat, I offered to take his place last night, he can deal. And with that confirmation, I placed my hand on his shoulder with immense caution and shook him none-too-gently—

I was still conscious—that was a good sign. Or bad, good that he didn't crack my neck; bad that he might be waaay too out of it to even use his reflexes.

I shifted, crossing my legs together; this might take a minute.

My stomach groaned hungrily so I decided to skip the cautions and I grabbed his pillow before pulling it out from underneath his head, and he shifted with a groan of discomfort. I smirked in triumph of a reaction, "You alive in there?"

"Hnn…" Yuki rested his face against his arm in substitution for the pillow I had hostage, and one faint sigh let me know that he fell asleep again.

"I'll drag you down," I warned, lifting the pillow and bringing it down of his head with a fluffy thud, and I felt his hand snap around my wrist and he opened his eyes to peer at me, "Wuddryu… 's too early…" He slurred, letting his hand slip from my wrist as his eyes closed, disgruntled lines forming on his brow as he grabbed the pillow and pulled onto the ground, my grip still intact, and plopped his face in it.

He sighed into the pillow out of exhaustion, and I let out a sigh of over-played frustration.

I pulled at the pillow "Wanna miss breakfast?" I threatened.

He gave me a light frown as he curved onto his side lazily, his head rolling back on the pillow as his eyes took me in with a swimming desire sink back into slumber, his smoky hair a messy rouse, spilling around his face.

It was _inviting._

…exposing his neck and lips like that, it was like he was _inviting _me…

I felt a familiar tickle in my fingertips and lips, but before I could make another move Yuki released me from his gaze and with a disgruntled groan that didn't move past his closed lips, he pushed himself up groggily into a sitting position.

For a moment all he did was gaze with unfocused half-lidded eyes at the blanket on his lap and I was pretty sure he fell asleep with his eyes open again when he seemed to slip back into life and rubbed his eyes, "Mkay, I'm up…"

I tapped my knuckles against his arm, "Good luck getting dressed," he peered at me as his hand brushed away from his eye, and I shoved myself off the floor and onto my feet before making my way to the door.

_Out, out, out._

"…Kyo,"

I turned when I had my hand on the door… but there was an odd look in Yuki's awakening eyes and when he parted his lips to speak my voice had over ruled his, "Are you coming or what?"

After a few seconds he looked away from me and a weary smile played the corners of his mouth,

"…yeah," He slipped the futon cover off himself while I opened the door and left the room.

My stomach felt tight—I blamed it on the hunger.

(Yuki's POV)

My clothes slid onto my limbs without any difficulty, but I had re-button my uniform shirt a few times when I had paired the buttons in the wrong slits a number of times in my tired state.

It was Thursday morning.

And I didn't get nearly as much sleep as I wanted to.

I was grateful though that when my head had hit my pillow I had fallen into a dreamless sleep almost effortlessly. It was a relief to spend a night in constant sleep, and as disgruntled as my thoughts were toward Kyo waking me up, it was actually a pleasant start to my day—despite his unique waking skills. I liked it better then my alarm clock, which was just an intrusive noise blaring into my head.

I went to the washroom and cleaned myself up, and it was only on the third try at fixing my tie that I had gotten it to a presentable state and left it alone. I turned on the faucet and washed my face, the cold water snapping me out of my cloudy mind. When I walked back out the wide room was empty so I quickly made my way out of the dorm.

I wandered down the hall that held the faint sharp smell of cleaning products, and the soft faded scent of perfume-stained furniture; and on reaching the intersection of the dorms and staircase I silently padded my way down the steps, running a hand through my hair for last-minute grooming.

A gush of noise flowed swiftly into my ears from all the students chatting along the tables as I entered the open room that morphed into a cafeteria over night, and I felt a swift pang in my head from the sudden disarray in contrast to the cozy silence of the empty dorm room that I had reluctantly abandoned.

Last night after Kyo had left, about a fair estimation of 15 minutes, a teacher had come from the Staff dorm and had let Eichi off the hook from the lecture he was promised, since it was a late hour. The catch however was that he would spend the rest of the trip with me as his supervisor. I didn't mind helping out, but the unbendable assignment was hardly flexible in my favor and I rarely liked being backed into a corner like that—but Eichi seemed to be alright.

"Mornin' pres," A platinum blond gave me a tired smile that I returned weakly before sliding into the empty seat next to him.

"Good sleep Sohma?" Another boy asked with a cheery smile that made my headache worse.

"Fine, thank you," I said tiredly, having difficulty keeping a pleasant curve on my lips.

I filled my plate as my ears adjusted to the noisy chatter buzzing over the table, and I was pulled into a few conversation by the boys around me but I spoke only when they asked me a question since I still didn't feel entirely functional for socializing just yet. I instantly tasted the dull mediocrity in the food, a bit surprised at my snobbish reaction, but decided that Tohru put an impressive amount of work into her cooking that not a lot of people would bother with.

I didn't remember lifting my eyes in a search, but when my gaze caught sight of his unmistakable orange hair I felt less crowded in the room. Kyo looked perfectly awake despite how he retired to the dorms not too long before I did—then again he's always been a morning person and bursting with energy, but I was still disheveled with weary jealousy that he didn't look a bit exhausted.

He looked completely apathetic to everyone around him, replying indifferently when someone touched his shoulder with a playful comment. But at the same time, I caught how he seemed absent-minded… his eyes would shift into undefined focus a few times before he was brought back by someone nudging him in a conversation.

…I wondered what he was thinking about…

"_kiss him!"_

I spun around at the sudden whisper in my ear and there was a sudden pain shooting up my elbow when I looked down to see Kakeru on the floor, clutching his nose.

"Whoa! Nice reflexes Pres!"

Kakeru glared up at me, "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" he wailed in a hurt voice.

"Wh—you snuck up on me!" I exclaimed, still startled, "You came out of nowhere!"

There was laughter on my portion of the table, "Jeez, Nabe-kun, way to be stealthy!"

"You all don't know the half of it!" Kakeru said with over-dramatized hurt, "It's not funny when one's president abuses you day after day! _God forbid he locks me in a room with him like that one time-!"_

"WHAA?"

"_What happened-!" _

"What 'one time'!"

I sighed and slid a hand exhaustedly over my brow before glancing back up at the subject of my earlier attention—and Kyo was looking right back at me, an entertained grin on his lips. But just as quick as we made eye contact he looked away, but the reluctant curve of his lips hadn't faltered.

"So hey Yun-Yun, now that you're done abusing me," Kakeru shoved a chair beside me and dug into his plate of food, "I heard you gotta babysit Chi-kun?"

I glanced around looking for Eichi at the upbringing of that subject, "Yeah, I am—I don't see him, is he here?"

"Oh yeah, they're just talking to his parents," Kakeru snickered, "All the teachs' are gonna have their own little time, so that's why they're chaining him to you."

I felt something sick pull at my stomach, "They're not chaining him to me," I defended in an odd impulse, "Don't say it like that—"

Kakeru looked at me with startled confusion, then a smile broke across his face, "Ah, don't worry Yun-Yun!" He slapped my back and I flinched at the sudden contact, "That's why I'm here! So you won't get too bored dragging around that kid!"

I opened my mouth to disagree but a boy from across the table interrupted my attempt, asking me a question of my summer and I replied absently as the group around me drove into a conversation about summer.

(Kyo's POV)

My eye twitched as the spewing sound of an echoing wet gag sounded in the small room and the splash of chunky food hitting toilet water made my stomach churn as my nose burned with the disgusting acidic smell of vomit.

"You done yet, kid?" I said, trying to hold my breath.

"O-one sec," came his feeble voice—then another closed-mouthed gag before he regurgitated his lunch once more into the toilet.

Shino ended up getting food poisoning in one point of the day, and was now regretting eating the rest of Kino's bentō—and _I _was the one who was stuck in the bathroom with him while he did so.

Most of the seniors were in the building with us, this place had everything—the first few floors were for manga, anime, cosplay; and the ones higher up had food, souvenirs, and random junk. I was shoved into the bathroom with Shino to make sure he didn't hurl up a lung or something stupid like that.

"ah—okay. Finished."

"Finally," I said as he flushed the toilet with trembling fingers and pushed himself up to the sink before scrubbing his hands and face viciously.

"Well that was something huh?" He gave a nervous laugh, "I'm never eating nori again,"

I felt a wave of exhaustion run through my body, and my eyelids grew heavy.

I've been going on and off, losing my energy one moment then regaining it the next—but the spaces in between resurrecting my energy were getting longer and longer until I was starting to think I was about to fall asleep on my feet like Yuki.

(Yuki's POV)

"EEEK HE JUMPED OFF!"

"KYO JUMPED OFF THE BUILDING!"

I ran to the edge and looked over the railing in bewilderment,

"HE JUST JUMPED! WHAT DO WE DO?"

My eyes scanned the water's surface in bewilderment, ripples streaking downstream from where the surface had been interrupted—

"WHAT DO WE DO OH MY GOD HE'S DEAD HE'S DEAD!"

"He's not _dead!_ He wouldn't die from that!"

"HE'S NOT COMING UP THOUGH!"

I didn't even notice I had pushed myself up with one foot on the balcony rail until Kakeru pulled me off in a sharp jolt, shoving his finger in a pointed direction, "Look! There he is!"

I snapped my head back to the scene and saw Kyo stumbled onto the grass from the concrete boarder of the river, dropping to his knees soaking wet.

Relief washed through me—

"THERE HE IS THERE HE IS!"

"KYO KUN!"

"KYO KUN—KYO-KUN OVER HERE!"

He pushed himself up and his voice, even though a roar of a yell was faint from the distance, "_leave me the hell alone!" _He dashed away.

Then aggravation rumbled through me.

"_Idiot!" _I hissed before I turned on my heel and swiftly cut through the crowd.

"Hey pres! Where we going?"

"Are we gonna go save Kyon-Kyon?" Kakeru enthused, "Alright! Saving Kyon-Kyon!"

"We're not _saving _him, if he's alive when I get my hands on him, I'm gonna to bang his head into every pipeline in this city until all the stupidity has bled out his ears!"

Kakeru and Eichi paused briefly as I stormed out the door before regaining themselves and fleeing after me.

Count on someone as stupid and idiotic as him to pull off a ridiculous stunt like that.

I put a hand onto my chest.

'_empty'_

I felt it pound against my palm

'_heartless'_

Not right now.

(Kyo's POV)

My back leaned against the roof furnace and my wet uniform made a squeaking noise as I slid down onto the hard ground, rolling my head back and letting out an exhausted breath. My body was trembling in the slightest from the cool wind that blew against the chill of my skin.

Dammit. What was with all of this. All that commotion, why can't they all get it that we're in _senior _high not _middle _school.

My defined hearing caught the faint echo of determined steps coming from the stairwell that led to the rusty door not too far away from me—someone might have seen me climbing the fire escape. I made to push myself up, but being in my soaked state I felt like doing absolutely _nothing _until I was dry.

The door opened—and I was a bit taken aback when a familiar figure walked onto the roof, and I saw the cat at its feet flee towards me.

Yuki shut the door.

I shifted my hand onto the ground to push myself up, but when I moved my wet clothing that stuck to my body would twist on my skin and I would feel agitation squeeze into me from the tightness, so I left it and let him walk up to me in a composed manner—but I saw a few emotions underneath that clean guard.

He laced his arms over his chest, "Should I be impressed?"

I bit back a growl at deciphering his mood, "Are you?"

He tensed, eyeing me until he replied, "I'll admit I was naïve enough to think you'd never actually jump into a _river_."

"Yeah well makes two of us."

We stayed there for a moment, eyeing each other in challenge and stubborn appraise… then I saw his eyes softened, that hard glisten over them dissolving.

He put a hand on his hip, looked away from me, and let out a heavy breath… then glanced back at me.

And with that simple gesture, all hostile air evaporated from the roof.

"So what happened." He walked forward and sat down beside me, seeming exasperated.

"Huh?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Did you just fall off balance from the balcony or what?"

I snorted, "Like I'd be _that _stupid!" I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away, "I jumped off."

"You jumped."

I turned back to see his blatant look and I defended myself, "Hey I didn't know there was a fricken lake down there!"

"Only you." He muttered and made to get up, "Well come on, we need to get back,"

Even though my skin had goose bumps from the cold high air and the chill was sticking to my wet clothing, I declined with a protesting noise in my throat.

Yuki translated this, and stalled from standing up by letting out a constricted sigh, "You'll be in enough trouble as it is." He said in attempt to persuade me.

I looked away and grumbled.

"Look, if I take you back now, you'll get off easily, let's go,"

"_I_ was the one getting attacked," I shot defiantly. My cold wet state had me in an irritated, exhausted, and overall fed-up mood, "'sides, just cuz you listen to everything you're asked to do, doesn't mean I have to."

"Why are you always so convinced that someone has to _send _me to come after you?" Yuki shot defensively, hearing the implicated in my voice.

I shot a glare at him, now knowing that he came on his own and confused at that, "Then what the hell's it to you?"

Something flashed through his eyes—I couldn't tell what it was, and I didn't care either way so I turned from him and glared off the roof top. Then I felt him grab a fistful of my uniform shirt and push my shoulder against the wall behind me, insisting I look at him.

"_What's it to me?" _He repeated, looking in incredulous confusion—and I paid attention this time when that flicker of emotion went through his eyes, a mix between disbelief, confusion, anger, hurt, and disgust. "Are you being serious?" He challenged.

Confused, I answered to match his testing tone, "_Yeah_ why wouldn't—" I was interrupted when a thumping pain hit my head from collision with Yuki's abusive hand, making me wince.

Then I glared at him at the sudden physical violence, "You call that a hit? I didn't even _gahk!" _Yuki's fist slammed down on my head and I clutched at it as I crammed my eyes shut from the head ache that split down my brain. I squinted up at him, "_Dammit, why're you HITTING ME!"_

"Maybe I can _knock something right _in that stupid head of yours!" Yuki snapped.

I flared—not having the faintest goddamn clue what got this guy so agitated

Then he opened his mouth as if to rant on about something he was dying to say, but he reluctantly closed it, his eyes alive with a million different things.

Then he let out a stressed breath as he looked away from me before he rested his forearm on my pulled up knee and laid his head against it.

His energy seemed to leak from him.

"…what…" his suddenly weary voice had an undertone of lively frustration, "…what am I going to do with you…"

I blinked at him.

With just those few words, Yuki had brought in a very different atmosphere.

The tone that he had used wasn't accusing towards _me, _it didn't hold a harsh implication.

I could only recall this intensely gentle air with the moments we had shared just one on one.

Yuki lifted his head just enough so that I could catch his gaze through the smoky curtain of his hair, and I felt a knot tie inside my stomach from his gaze.

It was exactly like the one he had given me this morning. I just thought he looked at me like that cuz he was half awake.

I found my voice, trying to push back the sudden intimate air that had caught me off balance, "—w—what's _that _supposed to mean _'what am I gonna do with you'_?" I felt the flustered tone in my voice despite my attempt to hide it, "You trying to make me feel guilty or somethin?"

He blinked at me for a second before an amused smile tugged at his lips, "Of course not, don't be stupid." He straightened himself up, "Are you ready to go back now? You look cold."

"I _am _cold." I said in a disgruntled voice, "Why couldn't you just gimme a jacket or sumthin?"

"Because you would refuse if I offered you mine," He said, confident in his presumption.

I looked at him in appraise.

"Am I right?"

I looked away and grunted.

"I thought so," I rolled my eyes at his self-satisfied tone, "That's why I got something else,"

I felt him shove something on my wet hair and I looked back to see my vision obscured by a dark fabric.

"What's that?" I pulled the roughly soft fabric off my head.

"Open market had a sale on summer supplies—Eichi-kun got that for you, actually." Yuki told me.

I held the towel in my hand for a moment, the dark navy color simple—and I shoved it over my face when I felt a warmth come to my cheeks before I ruffled it into my wet hair, grateful to have something to get rid of all this gross wetness. I spoke in a disgruntled voice, "What the hell did Eichi pay for?"

"I didn't have the right change,"

"I'm not paying him back." I barked.

"I got him something, so you don't have to."

I stopped playing with my hair, a memory tickling at my brain.

I thought back to a few days ago when I had thrown that fit in class and stormed up to the roof.

This kinda reminded me of that. How he seemed to be aggravated the first moment, then he let down that haughty guard of his for some reason. I had been angry but too tired to show it—like this time.

…it had kinda confused me how he hadn't snapped at me or made my mood worse, but now that I think back on it… had he been trying to…

Cheer me up?

A sting heated in my cheeks.

Was that—was that what he was doing now?

I felt a tug at the towel, and light was brought into my dark cover as Yuki pulled the fabric up from over my face.

He looked at me with curiosity, his tone a bit uncertain in response to my sudden silence, "…How's it going in there?"

"Fine." I grumbled, hoping my flustered state wasn't as obvious as it felt.

It was like I was roped neck and wrists to a racing vehicle, every turn throwing me off, every change in speed taking me by surprise.

The adrenaline of inconsistency—my life was full of it.

The only thing I could be certain about in my life was that Yuki would always be a huge part of it.

A huge manipulator, the ever-present inflictor even when he wasn't there.

Even when I wasn't moving, wet and drained on a rooftop, he had complete control over my heart rate.

Like right now, when he pulls down the towel from my hair with an appraising look in his eyes. His warm hand brushing against the cold skin of my neck, his eyes curious and uncertainly hesitant.

…My hand lifted unconsciously, fingers lightly touching the fabric covering his forearm.

_Roped neck and wrists._

My hesitant and silent response had accomplished in bringing something out of him with implication, I saw the odd look he gave me. Then his hand was against my neck in a more purposeful gesture.  
The warmth of his flesh sent a heated shiver through my cold skin, making the hair on the back of my neck rise delightfully. Other then that, he made no other movement, except for his eyes. They were searching mine subtly, I could feel it. My hand curled around his forearm.

If he was looking for a fricken invitation, I was giving it to him.

It looked like he noticed that, and a dubious look entered his eyes as he appraised me with more suspicious curiosity.

…and that confusion in me over him hadn't lifted a bit.

I liked it better when he'd stick with one fricken emotion. A few days ago he said something around how going from one emotion to the next was better then always having the same one, the tone in his voice implying a comparison between us.

But that implication was completely wrong—there _was _no comparison. He was leaping from one emotion to the next with me: he'd be snapping at me, or talking casually to me. He'd be glaring at me, or gazing at me. He'd be acting aggravated underneath the surface, or completely calm.

He was the racing car I was tied to.

He removed his hand from my neck with a guarded gaze.

-unless there was a reason why, and it wasn't all just on impulse.

He pulled back from me, "well _I_ have to get back," he said in a casual voice, no air of that hesitation or uncertainly claiming him any longer. He pushed himself up and took a step away from me, turning halfway, "I'll see you later,"

He turned his back on me—just like before—heading off the roof.

So if it was just like before, then there had to be a reason.

I hated these riddles.

Problems in math, or riddles in science, puzzles, I could figure those out, I was fine at clicking _logical _things together if I wanted to. But in affairs with the mind, I was fricken clueless.

But I think I finally pieced together what was going on here.

I shoved myself up, the towel falling off my shoulders and the aggravation flooded through me, seizing up inside my chest and my voice was just bellow an accusing roar, "_Why don't you just say it to my face!"_

He looked back at me, taken aback at my sudden outburst, "Say what?" he said suspiciously.

I growled—he was gonna beat around the goddamn bush, "You're always acting so damn smug and mature, so don't fricken blame me for you goddamn _pride!" _I curled my hands into fists as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What are you talking about?" His voice was back to its hostile snap.

My voice echoed off the rooftop, "_what the hell do you think! _I'm talking about _Akito_!"

The cold high air blew amongst us, washing his hair over his dark, glinting eyes as his body tensed, mine doing the same in reaction.

"_god you—_YOU PISS ME OFF!" I roared at him, feeling all the built-in agitation swarm inside of my body like a fester of hungry gigantic bees—and I looked away, feeling everything from the past few weeks wash over me at once, "YOU JUST _PISS ME OFF SO MUCH!"_

I clenched my fists... and I came to terms inside of myself, the forward reason why I was so angry, the root of my fury, why when Yuki had pushed me away I had been doing the same damn thing to him.

I clenched my eyes closed, "It just makes me _so damn angry!" _My voice was below a bellow, "Jesus, even over something like _this—_YOU'RE the one who He wanted, not ME!

"I thought He'd—I thought He'd ask for me, I was _counting on that!" _my chest was seizing, "I thought He'd want _me _for once, but that was _fucking stupid wasn't it?" _I turned onto Yuki, feeling the anger and betrayal burst in my eyes, "IT'S _ALWAYS YOU OVER ME NO MATTER __**WHAT**__ I DO!"_

The air blowing from Yuki's direction suddenly grew much colder, and his voice was dangerous, "…is that what this is about, then?"

My lips curled in a sneer and my voice was loud, but venomous, _"What else would it be about?"_

His eyes suddenly flashed into a cold stone-grey before he was suddenly moving and stretching back his elbow, his fingers curling into a fist—

I stumbled back at the sudden hard collision of his vicious knuckles against my cheekbone, feeling the hard impact rattle through my jaw as my skin began to sting fiercely, the heat of my blood flowing there in threat of a bruise.

"_It's all about __**Him**__ isn't it?" _Yuki's voice was a loud snap.

I shoved my hand over my cheek and felt blood from my lip, _"Ya Damn-!" _I lunged at him with my own fist flying, but it wasn't a surprise when my swung cut through nothing but air before I felt a massive impact blew against my chest, the echo jolting through my body as the air knocked itself from my contracting lungs—and it was no sooner then I felt my body hit the ground when a fistful of my collar was grabbed and forcefully pinned me down.

"_How dare you pull me into your selfish schemes!" _His voice echoed through the roof, and his eyes were sparking with a million different things, and I interrupted with an enraged yell, _"__**My**__ schemes?"_

"_You're an absolute idiot!" _He barked, a faint tremble of icy rage in his voice that was amplified in those piercing eyes, "_He's the only reason you—" _words vanished from his lips and bolted to his eyes, which for one split second jolted with fear before Yuki pulled his elbow behind him, threatening me with his fist, his knuckles already white from the clenching grip, _"You're both the same! The only drive you have in life is the zodiac—__**you're both the same**__!" _The spiteful betrayal lifted into his eyes, "_Using people just to get what you want—I'm sick of it!"_

At the moment, I wasn't exactly sure if it was his weight on my abdomen or his eyes that restricted my breath, but the furious gates of his irises fell to reveal an ocean of the most chaotic feelings I've ever seen in his amethyst eyes, His fists quivered weakly while a clear sheen glistened over his eyes before he slammed them shut, looking down from me so his hair fell in front of his face. "First _Him, _now _You!_"

It might've taken any ordinary person a quick minute into this whole fight to realize what was going on.

But for me, it all clicked together just now.

The first wave was from shock, mostly at the amount of emotion that was pouring down from him into me like a waterfall—then the next was guilty panic. Emotions were something I was very incapable of dealing with so my hand shot out before I even realized it.

His head snapped back up when my hand closed around his fist, and it was just then when I noticed how it was trembling.

"—you think I'm trying to get to Akito through you?"

The defiant gate was back up in his eyes, cold and defensive at the bluntness of my remark—but he wasn't denying it.

I pushed myself upright when I barely felt his grasp on my collar, and he pulled back in return, taking his fist from my hand and leaning away, appraising me with mistrusting and accusing eyes.

Insult burst through me above other emotions, and in that offense there was only one thing I wanted to do and I threw back my own elbow and slammed my fist forward—

But it collided against his hand just before it broke against his jaw, his eyes subtly startled.

"_What kind of idiot do you take me for!" _I barked at him in a fury, "If I wanted to get to Akito, I CAN DO THAT MYSELF WITHOUT YOUR GODDAMN HELP!

"Y'think being with you is helping my chances one fricken bit!" I shot, "He probably wants to murder me! Either that or He's _laughing His ass off at me every goddamn minute!"_

"Then why even bother?" Yuki barked, "Or are you that set on blaming every one of your downfalls on me?" He shoved away my fist, "I didn't forced this on you!"

"Well you sure weren't defensive whenever I came onto you!" I barked back, and Yuki's expression twisted as he scoffed.

"How the hell couldn't I!" Yuki persisted, "After all those years of wishing to get _something _out of you, was I just supposed to be all cool and collected and refuse one of the only things I thought I could never deserve!"

"Where the hell is your mind, Kyo!" Yuki nearly yelled, "Don't you get it by now that I'm not a stiff composed aristocrat! I'm just as selfish and possessive as Akito, do you seriously think that after finally given the chance to be close to you, that I would ever want you to be hurt because of that?" Voice cracking desperately, he continued, "I don't want people to suffer for being near me, I don't want you taken away from me, and I know I could have saved us both a lot of grief if—if we just stopped but I _cant _I'm selfish, and possessive, and I _want you _and if Akito wants to hurt anyone for my desires, then _fuck that _he can deal with _me!"_

"That's not your choice!" I barked, "Why the fuck do you people have to be like this!" I yelled, "I'm sick—I'm sick of hurting people just because—I don't want you to have to—I don't need any fucking—I don't need it!" I clenched my fists and pinched my eyes closed.

That's all that relationships, crushes, adoration…love… when any of those are involved with me, the other person always gets hurt. That's not what I want.

I knew it all along, I really did. Not even if my emotions were directed at Yuki—the rat I had hated for so long, he would be the one to pay for them.

"I thought I'd be okay with this…" I continued my thoughts out loud, now feeling the shame soak into me as I slowly knelt onto the floor, "I… I can't do this anymore, I've had enough, I don't need another lesson…"

I could feel Yuki looking at me as I borrowed my face into my crossed arms.

I dug myself in too deep again, was my Mother not enough?

…was _she _not enough?

I heard scuffling, Yuki kneeling to the ground before me, and slowly I felt his arms wrap around my neck as he hugged my head into his chest and buried his face in my shoulder.

"…Please don't…"

The desperation in his voice, earnest and weak, made my eyeballs sting.

"…Don't give up on me…"

I found myself leaning into his hold, feeling the warmth and comfort enfold me like a baby blanket.

"…I'm sorry, I was being selfish," He whispered against my neck, "We're not my responsibility… but neither are we your's…"

My eyes slowly opened as he continued, his hold tightening in security, "so let's… face things together… I want to face everything, together, with you… I'm not going to let you go… I want to be with you, no one else, and nothing should change that except for us."

"You've… made me become a better person, Kyo." His voice just a breath, "and I don't want to go back."

I concentrated on his breath against my cold neck, listened to the slow but significant beat of his heart, felt his hair against my throat and his skin against my cheek.

"…Yeah… me neither." I whispered in reply.

Yuki pulled back slowly, his hands sliding from my back up to my cheek as he held my face in his hands, his eyes looking into mine.

"Alright." Yuki slowly gave me a tender, understanding curve of his lips.

I looked at him, thought of the obstacles standing in our way, and felt my heart jump. We would go through shit for this. It was a warning for us to back off before it gets worse, wasn't it?

I ponder this for a moment, feeling Yuki's eyes somehow seem to read my own and his expression changed to calm patience.

I looked back up at him, "…fuck Akito."

His smile was completely unrestrained, and it was almost as if somehow sudden plugged in a thousand volts in his eyes the way they lit up.

"Fuck them all," He replied, the cheery tone in his voice glazing his words.

_We're worth fighting for._

I don't know which one of us leaned in first, but all I could register next was the comforting feeling of his moist lips adoring my own.

And Jesus Christ, God himself can fuck me to hell for all I care—just as long as I have this full sensation in my belly, as if stuffed of everything pleasant; and this uncontrollable smile in my chest, safe and secure.

Yuki wasn't my boyfriend anymore… he was home.

**-end-**

FEW MORE CHAPTERS TO GO READERS, BUT WE'RE CLOSE TO THE END! THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME ANOTHER CHANCE!

Reviews are give me positive motivation *haza!*


End file.
